6-year-old Chance 'LeBron' Handelin and 7-year-old Shay Masters practice dribbling 2 basketballs simultaneously at the Boys and Girls Club's camp Saturday morning at the MAC. The 10 week camp is free, is coached by current and former Carson High athletes and volunteers, and takes place every Saturday from 7:30-8:30 am.
It’s a video that always goes viral showing Stephen Curry, the star guard for the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association, in his pre-game ritual before every game. Curry is shown dribbling two basketballs at once between his legs and in various other ways.
At the first ball-handling clinic sponsored by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada, one of Northern Nevada’s most respected basketball coaches, Bill Bollinger, told those who attended the clinic to watch the video of Curry showing off his skills.
That’s the point of the clinics at the Multi-Purpose Athletic Center, also known as the MAC: for youths to develop their ball-handling skills.
The first clinic in which more than 80 youths attended was held on Jan. 23. The clinics will continue to be held from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. every Saturday through March 26 at the MAC.
Also in attendance at the first clinic were members of the Carson High boys and girls varsity basketball teams. Each week, special guest coaches are brought in to work with the youths. Bollinger, who coaches at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Truckee Meadows, was the first special guest coach.
The clinics are done on a drop-in basis as children and teenagers of any age can come by to take advantage of the clinics. Participants don’t have to be clubs’ members.
“I was blown away,” said Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada board president Kurt Meyer about the attendance at the first clinic. Meyer organized the clinics.
He said half of the MAC’s space is reserved for the clinics but would love to see the entire MAC facility used for the clinics and other events as well, not just for youth, but also for adults.
“It’s what we’re all about,” Meyer said. “To provide these things to all the citizens.”
At the clinics, no shooting of the basketball is allowed. Youths can be seen dribbling basketballs and working on their ball handling skills such as dribbling right-handed and left-handed and switching back and forth from the right to left hand.
“It would be fantastic if the entire gym was filled with kids bouncing balls, for sure,” Meyer said.
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