Basketball program ends with clinic
By: Michael Arges
EAST WINDSOR – About 40 teenagers, ages 13 to 17 had the chance to elevate their basketball skills Tuesday night with help from Don Casey, a 20-year veteran NBA coach, and former head coach of New Jersey Nets.
The Tuesday evening session capped off an eight week summer night basketball league program at the basketball courts at Twin Rivers that was a joint effort by Detective Sgt. Bill Froehlich, the community outreach officer for East Windsor Police and Clark Listner, who oversees recreation for Twin Rivers Community Trust. Mr. Casey serves as vice chairman of the President’s Council on Fitness.
To start off, Mr. Casey "put the teens through traditional NBA drills, what they would go through in practice. And then he had them out there playing five-on-five," Sgt. Froehlich said. "He went over basic basketball skills and also discussed the importance of sportsmanship."
"They brought hats down, and a lot of give-aways," Sgt. Froehlich noted. "The Nets organization has been fantastic in getting involved in our community!"
The eight-week program was a chance for some positive basketball fun, and there was "an opportunity for the teens to have positive interaction with police officers and adults in the community," Sgt. Froehlich said. "Guys on patrol in uniform would just stop by to watch the games and say hello."
Also some parents got involved keeping score and helping out.
"Each week we’d do something different," said Sgt. Froehlich. Some nights there would be three-on-three full half-court games; some nights five-on-five full-court. Sgt. Froehlich noted that Scotto’s Pizza in Twin Rivers "helped us out." Scotto’s "helped fund part of the program" and "donated pizzas for the kids."
Sgt. Froehlich found the experience especially rewarding, because "when I was their age, I had a police officer in my life." He "was a positive figure who helped guide me to where I am today."
Also representing the Nets was Rob Chibbaro.