The “Full Court Press: Prep for Success” youth basketball and life skills clinic was held for more than 120 Nassau County Police Activity League (NCPAL) and local Urban League boys and girls recently at the Town of Oyster Bay Hicksville Athletic Center. The young athletes from Hicksville and surrounding communities participated in basketball skills sessions and competitive games led by former star NBA players, and attended life skills workshops conducted by Urban League instructors. The kids were given tee-shirts, lunch, certificates of completion and autographs from retired NBA players.
NBA/WNBA retired basketball players and clinic instructors Vin Baker, a four-time NBA All-Star/Olympic Gold Medalist, Wes Matthews Sr., two-time NBA Champion/University of Wisconsin, Anthony Avent, Seton Hall University/seven-year NBA career, and Tamecka Dixon, three-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA Champion inspired, instructed and interacted directly with the young players ages 10 to 16. “It is fulfilling to know that the kids who participated in this event benefited from the skills and the years of experience of the former NBA and WNBA players. The goal of this program is to give boys and girls a way to interact with former NBA players and learn to play basketball better and gain self-confidence and learn teamwork. The Full Court Press: Prep for Success programs provides a memorable experience, which helps to instill a positive attitude for each of the boys and girls who participated,” said National PAL Event Coordinator Jeff Hood.
“The positive interaction between the former NBA players and the young people is exactly what PAL is all about. The kids were eager to learn from the pros about basketball and success in life. The life skills workshops were productive and covered important topics such as health, education and careers,” said Commanding Officer Nassau County Police Activity League Sgt. Doug Kenah.
Full Court Press: Prep for Success is a 14-city nationwide basketball and mentoring tour sponsored by National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA); National Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL), and National Urban League (NUL).
