OC MVPS: Beckman basketball player made his dream come true helping others

Beckman basketball player Shubh Khandhadia (left) with one of the campers Grant Pena in July 2018. (File photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone)

(Third in a series)

Beckman High boys basketball player Shubh Khandhadia wanted to give something back to his community.

So, the Irvine resident went about planning and hosting a youth basketball camp for special needs students with the help of family members and other volunteers from the Beckman team.

The first camp was held in July of 2018 at Beckman and it was so successful and well received that he held two more in January and July of 2019. Khandhadia, for his efforts, is another OC MVP.

All of those who attended the camps received T-shirts, which were designed by Khandhadia’s sister, Saloni Khandhadia, a who was also a student at Beckman. Players also received water and snacks.

“The main goal is just to cheer for everyone,” said Khandhadia after the first camp. “I’ve always had the dream to start a basketball camp for kids who didn’t have the original ability to play and they weren’t given the opportunity to play.

“It was a way for me to live out my life-long dream in a reasonable way for my school, something that I could do to help out my community and put some smiles on some kids’ faces.”

Khandhadia is now attending college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and after his last camp he said he hoped to return to hold more camps.

“I’m proud of Shubh and his desire and dedication to give back to the community through the game that he loves and has given him so much,” said Beckman Coach John Goins. “The Beckman ‘All-Stars Camp’ was completely Shubh’s creation and is a testament to the young man’s character and drive. I hope that it can continue to live on here at Beckman once we move past this challenging time.” 

All the hard work seemed to pay off. Khandhadia shared a letter from one of the campers in 2018.

“Thank you for having the basketball camp for me. I had a lot of fun for three days. Thank you for being my friend. You are great.”

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com