North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the Town Board have again partnered with the Long Island Nets to host four free basketball clinics throughout the area this summer.
“Kids who attend these clinics will be able to pick up new tips and skills from future basketball stars themselves, as the Long Island Nets are the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets,” DeSena said. The clinics are specifically designed for children ranging from the ages eight to 14. Participants must be residents of the Town of North Hempstead, and register on the Long Island Nets website prior to the clinic.
On June 10, the Nets kicked-off their first clinic at the Alvan Petrus Park on Port Washington Boulevard. Upon arrival, participants were given a Long Island Nets t-shirt and a registration number to pin to themselves. The children were split into four groups, primarily by age. They rotated between different stations and coaches covering shooting, dribbling, passing, and defensive movements. Groups would move after about 20 minutes and a water break.
The Nets have also added a unique aspect of their clinic to improve results for the participants. Through their partnership with the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), children were periodically brought to the Sports Education station. An HSS staff member would organize a line and give the kids an exercise to do. The motion was recorded and sent to an HSS database. Using the registration numbers pinned to the participants, HSS individually sends a video and analysis of the exercise to increase and maximize every move.
Wade Richardson, manager and community relations director for the Nets, has been at the helm for the past three years. A native of Long Island and the Nets home arena being Nassau Coliseum, “working with the Town of North Hempstead is something that we strive to do,” Richardson said. Since their establishment in Uniondale during the ‘17-18 season, the Nets have tried to cement themselves as a face and pillar within the surrounding communities.
“Being born and raised on Long Island, running and organizing these camps means something to me from a personal standpoint,” Richardson said. “And coming off a hiatus from the COVID pandemic, we’re getting kids back into the swing of things by moving them around and getting them outside. It starts with basketball, a game you can learn so much from.
Hosting events like this not only creates a positive atmosphere, but promotes the Nets as an organization as well. Being an NBA G League team, their goal is to increase the average basketball fan’s familiarity with who they are. Increasing sales and brand awareness is a priority and these clinics for children allows for the Long Island Nets to become more mainstream.
There will be three more clinics throughout the Town of North Hempstead this summer at these locations including Whitney Pond Park in Manhasset on July 21, Broadway Park in New Hyde Park on July 29, and Donald Street Park in Roslyn on Aug. 26.
To check out more specifics and register, please visit LongIslandNets.com or call 516-869-6311.
