(Photos by Chris Boyle)
Every Saturday at the Howard B. Mattlin Middle School, the gymnasium is ablaze with the scuttling and bouncing of rubber on hardwood. It’s the members of the Plainview Basketball Club hard at work at their weekly clinic, learning the ins and outs of the sport from a master and having a ball while doing so.
Plainview resident Sonny Faro, director of the clinic, founded the program 10 years ago. Boasting a varying amount of experience on an international level, there’s clearly no one better place to bring the basketball-minded youngster.
“I used to coach teams in Israel before I moved here to the United States and I still coach teams there and in Europe on a regular basis,” he said. “When I moved here, I used to teach a basketball clinic with the Police Athletic League until they decided they didn’t need a Saturday clinic anymore—they wanted to start leagues and play games instead—which was a mistake because there are a lot of kids around that wanted to learn the sport. So, I started my own clinic to fill that void.”
Cary Alon of Jericho, clinic general manager, said that the clinic isn’t about who scores the most points or hits the most foul shouts. Instead, it’s about teaching any kid that wants to learn the basic fundamentals of the game, be it to eventually excel at league play or just hold their own on the playground courts.
“It’s not targeted at playing games or being part of a league, with one kid being a star and doing all of the scoring while everyone else just sits there and watches,” said Alon. “It’s teaching kids basic dribbling, passing and shooting skills so that when they get into game situations they can contribute and feel like they’re part of the team.”
In addition to being put through various drills, exercises and games to drive home the basics of the sport of basketball, the kids attending the clinic have access to an array of high-quality equipment. Among the amenities available are a shooting machine, hoops of various heights to accommodate athletes of all sizes and a wide-screen television for watching instructional videos. The lessons gleaned by students, Alon noted, are never the same week-to-week.
The season runs from October until the end of June every year and is open to children preschool age all the way up the high school level—both boys and girls—from Mineola and its surrounding towns.
Each season attracts upwards of 250 kids, signifying its popularity not only with kids wanting to master the skills needed to succeed on the court, but with their parents as well. Raj Chabra of Hicksville, has his two sons enrolled in the program for their third year straight.
“I love it and they love it. That’s what keeps them coming back every Saturday and after they’re done I get a little workout on the courts when they’re free as well,” he said. “It helps them to pay attention and listen to instructions when they go through different drills and then they get put into teams to practice what they’ve just learned. It teaches them discipline and how to focus and listen to the instructions not just given by a coach, but a teacher as well.”
Justin, 8, is on his second year of attending the clinic. He said that the coaches are tough, but fair, and as a result he’s seen a quick increase on his skills on the court.
“I like it here a lot,” he said. “I like how the coaches really work with you and it can be hard but you really get better fast because of it. Plus, you have a lot of fun here. I love it.”
basketball clinic.
The clinic employs both professional coaches as well as older teens who have themselves worked their way up the ranks. Among them is Alon’s son, Ben, 16, who admitted that he was initially pushed a bit to join, but once he did, a great love of basketball grew within him.
“I started here in fourth grade. At first, dad forced me to come and I didn’t really want to, but as I came I really started to enjoy it and I wanted to stay longer and longer,” he said. “Now I work for Sonny helping to train and coach the younger kids and Sonny works me out so I can get even better. It’s a great relationship and I want to stick with this and keep helping out and hopefully when I get older can have my kids come. I really enjoy it.”
To find out more, visit www.plainviewbasketball.com
