By Natalie Spray - Sun Newspapers (Created: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 5:35 PM CDT)

Staff members at two basketball camps last week used the time to discuss more than just hoops with local youth.

In Brooklyn Center, Quadree Drakeford, better known as Coach "Q," held a four-day camp for students ages 8 to 17, where he taught the basics of basketball and life.

Drakeford, 29, played Division I basketball at Grambling State University from 1997 to 2000.

"What separated the good from the great was their mental attitude," he said. "Those players had the edge."

Drakeford has used that observation and his life lessons to start the Protect the EDGE (Excel, Dreams, Goal, Education) Basketball Camp.

The acronym helps students remember they can achieve their dreams, if they set goals, get an education and excel in all areas of life, he said.

"If you're not living on the edge you're not getting the right view," Drakeford told the 50 children at this year's camp.

Camp participant Alandra Cox, 13, said the camp made her think about what she wants to do when she grows up.

"It's not just about playing games all day," she said. "We heard from successful people who have made it."

Jabari Anderson, 15, said he realized it's not just about making the pros, and learned you can get a good job with an education.

Just one day after the camp wrapped up, Minneapolis resident Bobby Brown, 26, held a basketball clinic for kids ages 9 to 14 in Brooklyn Park.

Brown and his sister were the victims of a drive-by shooting in south Minneapolis in 1997. Brown suffered a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair.

At his camp, Beyond the Court, he tells people how gun violence negatively impacted him, and many Twin Cities communities.

"He talks about how you need to choose a different path, so it doesn't lead to a dead end," Brooklyn Park Police Capt. Jeff Ankerfeldt said.

The clinic is part of a bigger police initiative to reach youth and reduce youth crime, he said.

"We recognize there are a lot of young people at risk of being involved in youth violence as a perpetrator or as a victim," Ankerfeldt said. "Police aren't just the enforcement arm in community. We want to help improve the quality of life and we can do that through education and mentoring."

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