Kobe Bryant and Chain Link Fundamentals @ Rucker Park

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.

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.

For ten weeks this summer, 23 lucky Harlemites participated in the Jordan Breakfast Club, a re-enactment of Michael Jordan’s training regimen during his career, that had them working out every Saturday at nine in the morning at PS 92.

To culminate the program, His Airness stepped onto the hallowed ground at Rucker Park with three of his disciples to congratulate the kids himself.

The GOAT stopped by Rucker to conclude Breakfast Club in NYC.

For what must have been a dream come true, kids faced up against Carmelo, D-Wade and CP3 in full-court drills. In a 3-on-2 defensive drill, three petrified pre-teens got their shots blocked and their passes picked by Wade and Paul, while Anthony showed off his shooting stroke.  In a grand gesture of philanthropy, three checks, each worth $23,000, were presented to the Harlem YMCA, Boys & Girls Club of Harlem, and the New York Urban League.

D-Wade wasn't having it.

Each participant received a certificate of completion for their hard work.

What better way to kick off the World Basketball Festival than with a brisk workout provided by the top-notch coaching staff of Chain Link Fundamentals. After a brief opening with Jerry Colangelo, Coach K, and two of the nation’s best, Kevin Durant and Rajon Rondo, kids of Alianza Dominicana took to the amazing court set-up at Radio City Music Hall to learn the game.

Chinese national Yi Jianlian assists at the shooting station.

Coaches Cliff Brooks and Lance Williams anchored the defensive station, encouraging footwork and active hands. Pro-caliber players Kenny Satterfield and Nate Brown manned the ball-handling station, giving proper instruction in lieu of the flashy, excessive crossovers young NYC players are known for.  Chinese national Yi Jianlian helped out at the shooting station, helmed by Andrew Feeley and city legend Mike Campbell. To close, Rajon Rondo gave an insightful speech to the kids about the importance of hard work, getting their education, and the concept of “United We Rise.”

USA guard Rajon Rondo imparts knowledge to the kids.

We continued our success during the third week of Chain Link Fundamentals programming in New York City with our continued outreach into the community. Thousands of children of all ages on the playground playing the game, without possessing the basic and necessary tools to succeed at basketball.

A select few are privileged enough to get noticed or have a coach in the family to teach them these skills, but the vast majority are left behind on the playground to repeat the crossover dribbles and other “ooh and ahh-” inducing moves pushed to the forefront of basketball coverage.

What Chain Link Fundamentals seeks to do is provide top-notch coaching to any and every kid that comes to our program. And most importantly, free of charge in comparison to other skill camps or clinics that may cost hundreds of dollars that inner-city families just don’t have.

We’ve been able to host several large groups, including the Beacon Community Center, the Millbank Center, Harlem Children’s Zone, the Gauchos, and Street Corner Resources. Kids have come from Yonkers, Uniondale, and even Denmark to partake in our program, showing the obvious necessity for programs of this nature to improve our children.

For this third session, our participants received a truly unique experience: learning from pro-caliber players on the court then heading to the World Basketball Festival gallery titled “The Ball Room,” an exhibition of Nike and basketball history. The Signature Moves portion allows the kids to watch their favorite players execute their go-to move and learn how to replicate it and add the move to their own repertoire.

Without a doubt, the New York City youth that participate in Chain Link Fundamentals programming this summer will become better basketball players because of it, by taking the skills they’ve attained, and repeating the drills they learned throughout the year.

Coach Kenny Satterfield instructing at the ball handling station.

]]> http://chainlinkfundamentals.org/clinics/2010/07/chain-link-fundamentals-week-3/feed/ 0 http://chainlinkfundamentals.org/clinics/2010/07/converse-open-gym-2-weeks-in/ http://chainlinkfundamentals.org/clinics/2010/07/converse-open-gym-2-weeks-in/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:28:10 +0000 dimemag http://chainlinkfundamentals.org/?p=268

The complement to Chain Link Fundamentals is Converse Open Gym where participants apply what they learned on Monday into full-court competition. Our beautiful grounds at PS 92 were installed just before the summer began and it’s “terrific for the youth basketball community in New York,” says director Eric Newman.

Our top flight staff referees the games but the kids are free to run the court as they please. The younger group takes the court from 10-12 PM followed by their older counterpart at 12:30. We’ve gotten outstanding turnout at both events so far, with over 200 participants taking the court this past Wednesday.

All participants received a reversible Converse jersey to wear at all Open Gym sessions this summer. We’ve welcomed several groups, including El Faro Beacon where AG “The Voice of Harlem” is a counselor. Naturally, he made his way to the DJ booth and hopped on the mic to cover the proceedings.

With each passing event, we reach further into the community where he hope to create an impact for years to come. Our next Open Gym is tomorrow morning, 13 and under at 10 AM and 14+ from 12:30 to 2:30 PM at PS 92. Check out all of the pics from Open Gym on our Facebook page.

A view from above at Converse Open Gym.

Following our successful first run on the 12th, we added a second session to cater to more students of the game, including ones coming out of camp or school. At Chain Link Fundamentals we stress the importance of academics in addition to basketball. The programming is set up in this mold, with the instruction on Monday and Open Gym on Wednesdays.

Our day starts at about 9 AM when the kids arrive to warm up and shoot around. The clinic starts at 10 with a few words of guidance from experienced NYC program director Eric Newman. The participants are grouped and begin to cycle through the six stations: shooting, rebounding, defense, ball-handling, one-on-one moves, and SPARQ training.

Coach Lance Williams leads the Defensive station.

These clinics provide the invaluable opportunity for children of all levels to learn from ex-college and professional players who specialize in youth development, including NYC basketball icons Mike Campbell, Ira Miller, and Kenny Satterfield. It also gives them a great workout while becoming well-rounded players, and better athletes with the SPARQ component.

This summer is just the springboard for Chain Link Fundamentals in New York City. Our next clinic is Monday, July 26th at 10 AM, and the second session begins at 12:30. Be on the lookout for more in the near future!

P.S. Become a fan of the Chain Link Fundamentals Facebook Page and check out all of the great photos from the summer so far!