Grind Guam hosts 3rd annual Saipan hoops camp

After the third year, Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium feels different—and that’s kind of the point.

Coach Morgan Aiken Jr. brought his Guam-based Grind Basketball Camp to Saipan’s girls and boys aged 13 and up for the third year in a row from Apr. 8-9—and it has grown into more than just drills and scrimmages. Where there was once just love for the game, there’s now more intensity and accountability.

“I remember in year one, everybody loved the game, but the intensity was a lot lower compared to the second year. Now, going into the third year, I think my biggest focus is yes, we can do drills, but it’s doing the drills to the max effort, and doing it the best that you can because you don’t want to just be going through the motions,” Aiken said.

With a lot of the athletes from the previous camps coming back, he said he’s seen the difference. “They look a lot more driven, working a lot harder, and holding themselves accountable to push and be better,” he said.

Day 1 started with burnout dribbling, pushing players to keep control while tired. Then came finishing from the right wing, working different footwork and both hands. Later, they got into three-player motion, focusing on spacing, timing, and moving with each other. By the end, the gym felt more active, more connected.

Day 2 was quicker. Fast break 1-on-1 to start, getting a shot up in six to eight seconds. Then 2-on-2 work—help defense, recovery, and making decisions on the fly.

With future camps, Aiken said he’s talked to a local coach, Mike Mercado, about possibly hosting the camp not just once a year, but twice a year. “It’s been pretty consistent and it’s growing so hopefully I can come back twice a year,” he said. “And hopefully open a younger division just so we’re able to introduce Grind Basketball and some of the lessons I teach at a younger age, so when they get older, they’re able to transition easier.”

He mentioned that some Saipan athletes have actually gone to Guam and trained with the Grind Basketball Camp there. “Opening doors and allowing them to build relationships with our Guam athletes—especially the goal of what we’re doing is to improve and it’s cool to see them build lifelong friends through basketball.”

What stands out most to him is the passion. “It is only the third time and we have athletes that are returning for the third time. How much they love the game of basketball, how much passion they have and the want to get better at basketball—it’s something that I had when I was really young too,” he said. “Like now, as a coach, it’s something I want to come back and help be a part of the athletes’ basketball journeys.”

Aiken then said he is also trying to help players get to the next level—like connecting high school athletes to college programs and keeping their basketball dreams alive.

Aiken was the first player from Guam to make it to Japan’s pro basketball league. He was born in Hawaii but went to high school in Guam, then played NCAA Division 1 college ball at Eastern University. He’s also been part of the Guam national team and won gold at the 2014 Micronesian Games. He also picked up sponsorships from BoingVert and Adidas Japan after his dunk videos on Instagram and YouTube—even though he’s only 5"8.