Basketball: Camp lures Pero Cameron home

Former Tall Black, and Northlander, Pero Cameron returned to Northland for the first time in many years last week before heading back to Australia to live. Photo/Michael Cunningham

In a partially lit gym at Kamo High School, former Tall Black Pero Cameron struggled to recall when exactly he was last in Northland. But there's no doubt this is his home.

For Cameron, regardless of when his last visit was, training about 40 young basketballers as part of a Te Tai Tokerau holiday training programme was a perfect excuse to come home.

"We've been meaning to do this for a while and we just haven't got around to doing it," the 39-year-old said of the camp held last week, explaining that from April he will be based out of Waikato for the basketball season rather than his usual home on the Gold Coast.

"All [of] those things have helped me get four or five days up north, and it has been great. Not only to see mum and dad and the rellies - brothers, sisters, cousins, who I haven't seen for ages - but also to see the aspiring youth and the programme that Northland has done.

"They've done a pretty good job, they've got limited facilities and support, financially, you can see it's very volunteer-based up here - it's something my mum has been involved in my whole life and it's great to come help out where I can."

Cramped on a child-sized bench, the 2m Cameron admits that he would love to get back to Northland more often, but his life in Australia doesn't allow it.

Nowadays Cameron spends a fair bit of his time coaching representative sides, saying it is a good life to have as it allows him to spend more time with his family. Although coaching isn't something Cameron saw himself doing as a young buck.

"My mum was a coach, and you just don't see yourself in your mum's shoes growing up - funny that. It's probably every young boy's dream in not being what their mum is.

"But along the way the coaches in my life have had different effects on me, positive ones, and I hope to share that with other young aspiring kids."

In relation to Northland youth, Cameron said we have some promise up here.

"When you look at youth you look for size, speed and commitment, and you look for a combination of these and skill and desire. We have some really good size [kids in Northland], a kid there, a 15-year-old about 6'8' (2.07m) and another is 15 years old, and 6'4'-6'5' (1.95cm-1.98cm).

"Size is a big issue for New Zealand basketball, especially when you get international."

With the Tai Tokerau holiday camp set to be a regular fixture, Cameron should be visiting the Northland shores annually - although he hopes to hit a few more beaches next time. "I do love the beach, and I do love the Northland beaches," Cameron said. "Something myself and Judd Flavell used to do was slide off to the beaches each week. It's a way of life up here, we used to go out to the beach all day, train, play b-ball, sleep, get up, go to the beach, train and do it again."