More than 450 children participated in the annual Norman Powell Youth Basketball Camp at Lincoln High School on Saturday. Organizers took extra precautions to protect campers from high temperatures during a summer heatwave this weekend in San Diego.
The free camp welcomed children ages 7 to 17 for basketball coaching from NBA player Norman Powell, a San Diego native who recently signed with the Chicago Bulls.
Powell also had help from other sports professionals, and dozens of volunteers.
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Norman Powell tossed a basketball, Saturday, inside the gym at Lincoln High School.
He and other sports professionals mentored children in basketball skills and drills, August 1, 2026.
Some operations for the annual event were changed because of the heat by increasing the amount of ice available, adding hydration stations and setting up tents to provide shade across the Lincoln High School campus.
“We always pride ourselves in having the best weather but even the city with the best weather can overheat some days,” Powell said.
Children and their families arrived early for check-in on the southeast San Diego campus.
“I love playing basketball and Norman Powell is one of my favorite players, ” 11-year-old Nicholas Acosta said. He and his parents traveled from Tijuana to attend the camp.
Another camper, 9-year-old Dany Montano, was excited for the chance to meet the NBA player.
He said, “meeting Norman Powell and getting my cards signed would be great.”
The camp began with warmups inside the air-conditioned high school gym, though organizers said the extreme heat still affected the event.
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A young player practices on the court, Saturday, during the morning session of the annual Norman Powell Youth Basketball Camp, August 1, 2026.
Powell’s mother, Sharon, helped coordinate the camp.
“Things are a little bit different this year because of the weather alerts,” she announced through a megaphone to the crowd gathered outside in the school’s quadrangle before sessions began. All the precautions were an attempt prevent heat exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses.
Joan Torres, a mother from Paradise Hills, had two children participating in the camp.
“I always tell the kids stay hydrated. I know there are a lot of kids that don’t drink water, but water is your best friend right now. (I know) they’d rather drink sweets…no,” Torres said.
Nine-year-old Jaziel Antikoll said he knows what heat exhaustion feels like.
“When my head hurts, it’s really really hot, and I get sweaty,” she said.
Camp organizers had also planned to install outdoor misters in the school’s parking garage to provide additional cooling, and shade. But, they discovered they were not compatible with the school’s water system. Instead, they relied on tents to keep parents and volunteers out of direct sunlight.
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Volunteers kept a steady flow of ice bags moving across the Lincoln High School campus to help cool down families, August 1, 2026.
Roanne Antikoll, Jaziel’s mother, said “we just usually make sure that (our kids) have ice in their water bottle and that they understanding when they need to take a break. We want them to advocate for themselves,” Antikoll said.
Lincoln High School is a community school within San Diego Unified. Administrators used state funding and grant money to help pay for the Norman Powell Youth Basketball Camp, allowing the event to remain free for all participants.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.