Even in high school, if her career turned out like she had hoped it would, Batavia’s Brooke Carlson was always thinking about how she could give back.
Carlson, who turned into the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer, is now taking on a starring role at Colorado State, where she will enter her sophomore season.
That was the platform she needed to help pull off her second annual youth camp Thursday at Batavia. Around 80 kids showed up.
“It’s crazy to see how much of an impact I actually have,” Carlson said. “I feel like you don’t realize that while you’re playing until you see it firsthand. It’s amazing. I love that I have that impact.”
Byron Xerxes Livsey, Carlson’s player rep at BXLENT Management and Marketing, knew that this was something Carlson had her eyes on while still becoming a standout at Batavia.
And he knows she has the persona to make it successful.
“I think she’s just relatable,” Livsey said. “A lot of people have this type of platform and they don’t really take advantage. She realized at a younger age the impact she has on younger kids in the community. She wants to give back.
“We’ve had conversations about the people that helped her along the way. Now she has an opportunity. That has not changed since high school. She’s just bringing that to the college realm.”
Fifth grader Giuliana Colamatteo attended her first camp Thursday with Carlson, and Carlson’s reach was felt immediately by not just her but all of the campers.
“She’s a big impact on me in basketball,” Colamatteo said. “She really helps me with my skills. She showed me how to do different things. She always does these camps and has other kids come around and gets other kids exposure to basketball.
“Not everyone has those kinds of people in their community.”
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Livsey feels the combination of Carlson’s exciting, daring play on the court, her work ethic and even sense of style have endeared her to younger girls, making this a perfect situation.
“When you’re a parent with a kid, sure, you want to tell them to shoot like this, play like this,” Livsey said. “But I think her thing is you want to work. She’s the one diving on the floor and going into the stands. On top of that, she’s got the eyelashes and the nails and girls love that as well.
“I think she appeals to both sides of the fan base.”
Carlson quickly endeared herself to Colorado State, turning into a fan favorite as a freshman.
By the time Mountain West Conference play came around, Carlson found herself in the starting lineup. She also earned a spot on the conference’s all-freshman team.
“It was amazing to see how much support I got right away and I loved every moment of it,” Carlson said. “The community there is kind of like Batavia. It’s very close. They like to support women’s basketball, and I love it.”
Livsey, who helped train Carlson in high school, isn’t surprised that she assimilated to the college game so quickly. It’s also a big part of the reason why Carlson’s camp grew exponentially in its second year.
“When she got to college and saw how quickly she impacted people there, why not try to bring it back here?” Livsey said. “She sees this as her legacy, not the stats.
“She’s more proud of that than what she did here. Not to say that wasn’t a great thing, but this turnout lets her know what she’s done means something.”
Even Carlson was surprised at that, having to print extra T-shirts to meet demand.
She truly hopes this is just the beginning.
“I’m excited to see it keep growing and what I can do with it,” Carlson said.
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.