DECATUR – RJ Walker Jr. attended Wayne Dunning’s BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) basketball camp as a kid and his and Dunning’s family have always been close.
So when Walker signed on to play basketball at the University of Idaho, a Division I school, it was obvious he would come to camp to talk to the kids and inspire them to aim high.
RJ Walker Jr., a Decatur native who plays basketball for the University of Idaho, works with campers. Walker encouraged the kids to stay in school and pursue their passion.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
“I pray at night,” Walker told the youngsters. “I believe in myself and I have faith. You must have faith.
Walker’s father, Rodney Walker, runs the SkyWalker International Sports Complex, where the camp is being held, and basketball has always been a part of young Walker’s life, he said.
“I will never forget,” Walker said. “I met (Dunning) in fourth grade. He was my substitute teacher and he told us he got screwed over by Michael Jordan. And then he always told us he played basketball and I I always admired him.
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The young Walker was recruited by Idaho because during the pandemic shutdowns, schools in Illinois were among the few still playing, and when Idaho officials saw him play, they told him off. offered a place at their university.

RJ Walker works with campers during the annual Wayne Dunning Basketball Camp Wednesday at SkyWalker International Sports Complex in Decatur. Visit www.herald-review.com
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Being away from home has been good for him, Walker said, inspiring him to devote his time to the hard work of getting ready for the gym and the weight room, sometimes twice a day. He didn’t declare a major, deciding to spend his freshman year at Idaho focusing on basketball and his required classes, though he leans toward athletic therapy as a career.
Dunning has been running the camp for 20 years, inviting youngsters to come and learn the basics of basketball and some life lessons as well. Guest speakers like Walker urge kids to stay in school, find and pursue their passion, and stay on the straight and narrow.

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“The camp is a grassroots basketball camp,” Dunning said. “It’s actually a Christian basketball camp, sponsored by Faith Fellowship Christian Church (where Dunning is a pastor). We just have a lot of basketballs lying around and we’re trying to teach life skills. We teach the love of Christ. We pray in the morning and we pray at the end of the session, and we just teach them about brotherhood, unity, understanding, and the world events that are happening right now.

Wayne Dunning, center, talks to campers during the annual basketball camp Wednesday at the SkyWalker International Sports Complex in Decatur. Visit www.herald-review.com
CLAY JACKSON HERALD AND REVIEW
During Wednesday’s session Walker played a game with the kids and was generous in passing the ball and encouraging them to do most of the play, and while they were playing hard it was good competition. mood, with children watching cheering on those playing and taking turns on the floor as part of the action.
Harlei Coleman-Tate was there because her grandmother encouraged her.
“I never really had a passion for sports,” said Harlei, a student at American Dreamers STEM Academy. “I wanted to try it out to see if it was something I was interested in and if I had a passion for it, and I think it interests me and I want to improve.”

Wayne Dunning, center, talks to attendees during the annual basketball camp Wednesday at the SkyWalker International Sports Complex in Decatur. The camp includes the basics of basketball as well as some life lessons.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Lanae Davis, a niece of Dunning, plays basketball at Eisenhower High School, where she will be first this month.
“I went to this camp a few years ago,” she said. “I’m learning more things and learning how to stay humble and maintain my stamina. That’s what I love, learning how to maintain my stamina.
PHOTOS: Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Daterion Street, 10, performs a drill while practicing to come back on defense during Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals basketball camp at the SkyWalker International Sports Complex on Thursday.
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Reverend Wayne Dunning leads attendees at the Brothers and Sisters in Christ basketball camp in an effort to clear litter around downtown Decatur during a camp session Wednesday morning.
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Reverend Wayne Dunning gives advice to Christian Dennison, 13, while leading a Brothers And Sisters in Christ basketball camp session at the Skywalker International Sports Complex on Wednesday morning.
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Wednesday, July 25, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Participants pick up trash in downtown Decatur during Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp on Wednesday, July 25, 2018.
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Wednesday, July 25, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Participants pick up trash in downtown Decatur during Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp on Wednesday, July 25, 2018.
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Thursday, July 26, 2018
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JIM BOWLING, HERALD & REVIEW Wayne Dunning’s BASIC Fundamentals Basketball Camp at SkyWalker International Sports Complex Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter