Curley “Boo” Johnson’s hoops empire is ever expanding.
The former Harlem Globetrotter returns his annual youth basketball camp to the Peoria area this summer. This will be his second summer in Washington and the 18th year of his boys camp and 14th of the girls camp.
“I remember wondering, ‘We’re kind of taken out of our comfort zone. What the response was going to be like?’ ” Johnson told the Journal Star about leaving Dunlap for Washington last summer. “It couldn’t have been better. The numbers went up.”
Johnson now welcomes participants from 130 Illinois towns and surrounding states.
“There are some places that have signed up that I’ve never heard of before,” the 1982 Peoria High grad said. ” … With the move to Washington, more communities are involved. Now, we’re starting to get Bloomington and Normal (campers).”
Nine courts throughout three Washington locations — Washington Middle School, Central Middle School and Washington Park District — are hosting the camp from Aug. 3-7. The boys camp runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., then the girls camp is 2-6 p.m. for players ages 9-14.
Registration remains open, costing $200 per camper.
On Wednesday, Johnson announced the complete high school staff for his Skills for Life basketball camp.
Eighteen Journal Star all-area players from the 2025-2026 season — eight boys and 10 girls — will be featured on the boys and girls staff as “camp coaches” with 98 total.
Sivante Stokes (Canton) and Tahj Tolliver (Manual) were members of the small-school boys all-area team. On the large-school boys all-area side, the staff includes: reigning player of the year Amarion Smith-Holley (Richwoods) along with Cole DuBois (East Peoria), Quinton Kitt (East Peoria), Brady Jones (Metamora), Anfernee Moore (Richwoods) and Nigel Moore (Peoria High).
Small-school girls all-area players are Rianna Foster (Illinois Valley Central), Kennedy Quinn (Abingdon-Avon), Emerson Eeten (Illini Bluffs), Mya Edwards (Eureka) and Anna McGlasson (Midland). The large-school girls all-area “camp coaches” include Kayla Herron (Richwoods), Emy Wardle (Peoria Notre Dame), Keyaira Haywood (Dunlap), Paige Selke (Morton) and Keniya Todd (Richwoods).
Johnson says over 95% of his coaches are former campers. Visit skillsforlifepeoria.com for more details, including registration forms.
2026 Skills for Life Basketball Boo Camp high school coaches
A full list of players who will be “coaches” at the 2026 Skills for Life Basketball Camp hosted by Curley “Boo” Johnson.
Girls (54): Vivian Bigger (Abingdon-Avon); Cheznie Engle (A-Town); Kaydin Quinn (A-Town); Kennedy Quinn (A-Town); Layni Linthicum (Brimfield); Ava Gaines (Canton); Natalie Strode (Canton); Saniya Jones (Central); Ciara Stokes (Central); Riley Durbin (Dee Mack); Amayah Gulley (Dunlap); Key Haywood (Dunlap); Brayleigh VanNess (East Peoria); Mya Edwards (Eureka); Ivy Edwards (Eureka); Emerson Eeten (Illini Bluffs); Maddy Stephens (Illini Bluffs); Rianna Foster (IVC); Alayah Nelton (IVC); Carsyn Braun (Lewistown); Ma’Kya Maxwell (Manual); Kaedence Beck (Metamora); Leah Koster (Metamora); Baylie Nena (Metamora); Addison Points (Metamora); Kurzy Sell (Metamora); Anna McGlasson (Midland); Cally DeSutter (Midwest Central); Kenzie Doty (Midwest Central); Abby Brooks (Morton); Brooke Ceresa (Morton); Penelope Drake (Morton); Payton Hays (Morton); Harper Nightingale (Morton); Khloe Pergler (Morton); Izzy Ripka (Morton); Paige Selke (Morton); Abby VanMeenen (Morton); Leah Brown (Pekin); Karmen Bush (Pekin); Amiya O’Neal (Pekin); Jelena Rivas (Pekin); Ava Stocke (Pekin); Cora Heinz (PND); Siena Stone (PND); Emy Wardle (PND); Sahara Streitmatter (Princeville); Kayla Herron (Richwoods); Keniya Todd (Richwoods); Avery Jost (Tremont); Emma Sweeney (Normal U-High); Kate McDougall (Washington); Olivia Osborn (Washington); Ella Reed (Washington).
Boys (44) — Kyron King (Bloomington); Sivante Stokes (Canton); Nigel Moore (Central); Danny Ruffin (Central); Kayden Turner (Central); Kendall Farmer (Dunlap); Marvin Jordan (Dunlap); Thatcher Lee (Dunlap); Holden Lee (Dunlap); Cole Dubois (East Peoria); Kaylen Hardy (East Peoria); Quinton Kitt (East Peoria); Dominic Silotto (East Peoria); Jack Blunier (Eureka); Logan Gardner (Farmington); Quentyn Mathews (Heights); Griffin White (Illini Bluffs); Cole Read (IVC); Drake Rodriguez (IVC); Wyatt Moore (Jacksonville); Lawrence Alexander (Limestone); Kelly Peterson (Limestone); Tahj Tolliver (Manual); Brady Jones (Metamora); Sam Koch (Metamora); Eamon Lynch (Metamora); Logan Vasquez (Metamora); Jack McGlasson (Midland); Malachi Carroll (Midwest Central); Josh Dawe (Midwest Central); JJ Proehl (Midwest Central); Joe Proehl (Midwest Central); Brendan Petty (Morton); Brooks Springer (Morton); Braylon Kormah (Pekin); Carter Pogioli (Pekin); Joey Alwan (PND); Kam Bill (PND); Patrick Graham (PND); Jack Miller (PND); Mario West (PND); Anfernee Moore (Richwoods); Amarion Smith-Holley (Richwoods); Brandon Tennon (Tremont); Ayden Kneer (Washington).
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 98 players set to coach at Curley ‘Boo’ Johnson’s 2026 basketball camp
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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