Resident and renowned public speaker “Big” Al Szolack hosted his annual two-week basketball camp for kids in July and this month at Harrison Township Elementary School, where he taught his charges more than just the fundamentals of basketball.
“It’s a well-rounded program,” Szolack said. “It’s all about praising them, raising their self-esteem. I tell the parents I run the camp not just for basketball, I run the camp to keep the kids off their cell phones, keep them off their iPads, to get some exercise and make them feel good about themselves.”
The camp was open to boys and girls who will be in fourth to 10th grade in September. They were grouped according to age and overall skill level and learned fundamentals such as shooting, passing, dribbling and defense.
Szolack himself is a former pro who played basketball for the Washington Generals, a team that regularly competed against the Harlem Globetrotters. He was assisted at the camp by a coaching staff whose members had accumulated more than 300 varsity wins and four state championships. Szolack has run the camp for 16 years.
“I tell kids, ‘No basketball camp is going to turn you into a great basketball player,'” he explained. “It’s what you learn when you go home, and you practice these things. It doesn’t matter what sport you’re doing, whether it’s soccer, field hockey or whatever, the only way to get better is by practicing.”
At the end of each camp, each attendee got an award based on how they did in tournament activities, such as the best foul shooter and knockout champion, as well as awards for winners of one on one, three on three and five on five competitions. Another award cites the best attitude after each day.
“We pick two from each group on who has the best attitude,” Szolack noted. “We try to promote being nice to your friends and all. This morning (on July 31), I blew the whistle, and one young little girl went and picked up three or four balls from the rack and carried them over (to the court).
“She went above and beyond what is expected for some these kids,” Szolack added. “We try to be positive; everything here is positive. On Monday when they come in, I tell them ‘If you have nothing nice to say, keep your big mouth shut.’ We want to be positive, we want to be encouraging, and we want to be the best we can.”
Szolack also gives a Do Hugs, Not Drug presentation on the final day of each camp in order to try and sway kids away from drugs and alcohol. Parents are invited to attend those sessions. Szolack gives the same speech everywhere, and to kids returning to the camp, it means something different every time they hear it.
“Some of these kids have been with me for six years and they hear my speech every year,” he pointed out. “It’s always the same speech, but as kids get older, they listen differently, plus their experiences in life are different.”
Kids in the camp are also tasked with writing an essay in which they swear they will not smoke, drink or do drugs because of people they know who may not have followed that advice.
“I have these kids get up and read these in front of their parents,” Szolack said. “I want parents to hear the reality, real life, and this is what’s going on in some kids’ lives. They need to start listening.”
