Gary Payton II basketball camp supports kids with dyslexia
OAKLAND, Calif. - A basketball camp by Warriors guard Gary Payton II is providing skills for children who love the game, while also serving a bigger purpose.
The GPII Foundation is hosting its third annual basketball summer camp at Oakland Hills Campus, formerly known as Holy Names University. On Tuesday morning, roughly 130 children gathered for the clinic to work on skills and rotations, and support children with dyslexia.
"Summer morning at 9 o’clock, you got to have a love for the game to be here," Payton said. "I’m glad that they have that passion in them for basketball, just like I do."
The camp is made possible by the GPII Foundation. It was established in 2021 and raises dyslexia awareness and offers support. The non-profit is run by his mother, Monique Payton, and his sister, Raquel Payton-Childs.
"It’s leveling the playing field," Payton-Childs said. "We have students out there that have dyslexia. We give out 75 dyslexia scholarships for the camp for those students to come, if they have learning challenges. We want everyone to have a good time."
She said dyslexia evaluations can cost anywhere between $3,000 to $10,000, but the GPII Foundation provides that screening for free. Families are able to know whether their child has a learning disability, and they're given references to find support in school.
"Gary was diagnosed in the 4th grade… the teacher came to me and said, ‘We think we should get him tested.’ I said, ‘My kid? Not my kid. We read all the time,'" Monique Payton said. "For me, early detection is very important. The kids with dyslexia can be introverts and shy, so we kind of want to bring that out of them and be with other children, no matter if they have dyslexia or not."
Payton himself surprised the children at the camp and shot some hoops alongside them. He also talked about the importance of using basketball to help kids with dyslexia become more social.
"I think basketball is a great way to break that up and get them out of their shell and take that back to the classroom… and not be afraid to speak up and ask for what they need help with," he said.
The camp is a favorite for 12-year-old Nile Fleischman who was diagnosed with dyslexia a couple of years ago. His father, Guthrie Fleischman, said getting support and early intervention has helped Nile grow to love reading and writing.
"I like writing and reading more than I used to, especially writing," Fleischman said. "It used to be very overwhelming for me, but now it's better."
The 7th grader said GPII is his favorite player, after learning the Warriors guard also has the same learning disability.
"He loves being in the gym and the chance to be in a space with his favorite player is a really big deal for him as well," Guthrie Fleischman said.
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