The month of April started with some exciting news for Chain Link Fundamentals as the program was honored at the House of Hoops store opening on 34th street. Chain Link was the recipient of the Nike Game Changer Award for it’s work in the community in the past year. On hand to receive the award were Josh Gotthelf and Eric Newman who have proudly helped put Chain Link on the map not just as a high quality basketball program but as an organization that changes lives with each and every clinic and event.  With the summer months around the corner Chain Link Fundamentals will once again be a game changer in a community near you. Please keep checking the site and our facebook page for updates.

Thanks to Chain Link’s everyday support base in the basketball community and Powerade two hundred youth participants from Los Angeles were able to participate in a pair of All-Star weekend clinics at the Galen Center on the campus of USC on February 20. A team of local coaches were pre-assembled to work with Chain Link Fundamentals to deliver a dynamic program for the participants that are members of LA’s Best and the After School All-Star’s organizations. It was a tremendous way to cap off All-Star weekend as the kids got to experience the Chain Link curriculum at a top notch facility with terrific teachers of the game.

On January 8th and January 22nd Chain Link Fundamentals teamed up with Nike to run two dynamic Saturdays of skill development clinics at the El Faro Beacon Scan Facility on 120th Street and 1st avenue. The Chain Link Fundamentals staff worked with over 500 participants over the course of the two Saturdays. The participants were middle school aged girls who are members of the DYCD/Beacon program which is spread throughout all five boroughs. From beginners to more advanced participants the gym was filled with eager participants who were given two great hours on the court featuring the dynamic warmup, skills and drills in the Chain Link station cycle and an court team building activity.

Chain Link Fundamentals will next activate during all-star weekend in Los Angeles.

Chain Link Fundamentals capped the summer with a bang at the World Basketball Festival. After being led through warm-ups by the elite coaching staff, one of the best players in the world, Kobe Bryant, stopped by to assist in the instruction.

In the midst of the clinic, Kobe observed diligently, spoke to the kids, offered personalized advice to several of the participants.

Bryant was fantastic during this once-in-a-lifetime experience that these kids will remember for ever – likened to receiving one-on-one painting lessons from Michelangelo. After putting in hard work all summer at PS 92, learning from the 5-time champion was a fitting reward.

Converse Open Gym has provided kids all summer with the great opportunity to run full court at PS 92 in Harlem on a newly-refurbished playground, complete with glass blackboards and professional rims. Kicking off Day 3 of the World Basketball Festival, kids from the Milbank Center took to the hardwood at Rucker Park to get their run in. The action was fast-paced and the kids had a great time donning their orange-and-blue for the last time this summer.