Sports
Rochester Coaches Come Together to Teach Basketball and Values
A basketball clinic organized for kids in the Wildflower Subdivision teaches proper mechanics and camaraderie.
More than 50 kids gathered Saturday inside a subdivision park to learn about basketball — and about life.
The group of second- through eighth-graders participated in the second annual basketball clinic at Daylily Park, tucked inside the Wildflower subdivision in the southeast corner of Rochester Hills.
varsity basketball coach John Pleasant led the clinic, starting with the basics of footwork before moving onto layups and proper shooting techniques.
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Pleasant is a fifth-grade teacher at , the school that most of the kids at the clinic attended. He knew how to teach the kids on the court as he did in the classroom.
Pleasant taught a "BEEF" acronym when it came to shooting. According to Pleasant:
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- B is for Balance: Keep your feet balanced and don't shoot off-center.
- E is for Elbow: Keep your elbow straight, which helps aim the ball and makes it go straight.
- E is for Eye: Keep your eye on the target, not the ball.
- F is for Follow Through: Holding your arm up for a second after shooting will help give the ball proper spin and trajectory.
"That's all we're trying to install in them, give them the tools they need to succeed and let them flourish," clinic organizer Jeff Lauth said.
Hamlin Pub donated all of the food for the picnic in the park that followed the two-hour clinic.
Lauth was inspired to organize the clinic after experiencing Lake Norcentra Basketball Camp, a weeklong clinic at led by John Pleasant's dad, Garth Pleasant, who recently retired as head coach of the Warriors basketball team.
"Not only do they teach basketball, they teach life lessons," Lauth said about the clinic, which he said helps instill values and appreciation for family.
"I want these kids getting a dose of not just basketball, but life."
Along with John Pleasant, Rochester High girls coach Adam Sheldon, coaches Nicholas Klak, Sean Peterson and Amy Hoekstra, and University of Detroit Mercy Titans assistant coach Derek Thomas rounded out the group.
"It's great to be competitive, but hopefully it's an annual event where they keep getting that touch of values and competitiveness from these coaches," Lauth said.
