05:50 PM CDT on Thursday, July 13, 2006

By JOHN MCCAA / WFAA-TV

It looks like fun, and it is, but teaching a gym full of youngsters basketball is only a small part of the goal.

“We teach them how to live right, basketball and sports is secondary,” said Terrence Chase, one of the mentors at the program.

The basketball camp is run by the non-profit "Mentoring Brother to Brother" organization. Besides shooting hoops, the kids learn discipline, respect, and are urged to stay in school.

“To be good and not to get into trouble, because if we mess up we can't really take it back,” said 9-year-old Tyler Thompson.

"If you can get the life skills down you won't have any problem doing any job," said Ray Schufford, another one of the mentors at "Mentoring Brother to Brother".

For Orlando Magic player Tony Battie, a graduate of Dallas' South Oak Cliff High School, it's a time to give back.

“Sometimes its a little rougher on inner city kids, we get stereotyped where we only want to be athletes or rappers, and I just want to come by and tell them they can be whatever they want to be,” said Battie.

Battie remembers sitting where these children are--and hearing similar advice from Dallas Maverick Rolando Blackman, Blackman's words stuck with Battie, just as his has with these youngsters.

“We learn where to go in life. How to have the right attitude, things we should say to people, how to respect adults, how to respect each other,” said 12-year-old Cherish Clenagan.