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.

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.

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.