By John Orrell
Landmark correspondent
HOLDEN — It’s not every day that a former Boston Celtic who played in the NBA for 11 seasons rolls into town, but that was the case on June 27. Brian Scalabrine spoke to a group of 130 aspiring hoopsters at the 20th anniversary of the basketball summer school known as ‘Back to Basics’. He spoke to grades 3 thru 9 group about seeking passion in life and not being afraid of setting and achieving goals.
The program, hosted and coordinated by Wachusett Regional High School boys varsity basketball head coach Tom Gibbons, with several coaches on board to provide a helping hand, allowed for smaller groups and greater emphasis on learning the game. But most of all, it was fun and fundamentals for the students of all ages, who clearly loved the experience.
“What he (Scalabrine) told us was to work hard and be creative,” said first-time player Thomas Anderson, a rising freshman. “Think outside the box and don’t get stuck inside that box and not be creative. The coaches constantly make things competitive. There’s always games going on that are fun. It’s been amazing.”
“We learn to play as a team and pass better to dribbling skills. The coaches make it fun and I love playing the game,” added third-grader Ryleigh Ginnety.
Scalabrine, a power forward in his playing days, is currently a television analyst for the Boston Celtics. During his visit, he shared tips on how to train properly, showed some drills, and even executed a ‘dunk’, much to the delight of the onlooking crowd. He then spoke to the players about setting goals and following one’s passion.
“No matter what you do in life, you’ve got to be passionate about it,” Scalabrine said. “It doesn’t have to be basketball, it can be anything. People use the word ‘passion’, but what does that really mean? It means you’re thirsty for knowledge to learn. You work your hardest and don’t be afraid to fail. There’s a lot of paths, but if you’re true to yourself and work really hard, you can accomplish whatever goals you set for yourself.
“I’m learning from people all the time, and if you keep an open mind, things will fall into place. I meet NBA players every day, but I learn so much from watching high school games besides.”
Gibbons decided some time ago that the 20th anniversary of the basketball school should be special, hence the reach-out to Scalabrine. When he accepted, the wheels were set in motion for a special day.
“We wanted to grow the game, teach the game and the fundamentals that will lead to passion for the game,” Gibbons said. “These kids are having a blast. There’s fun competition and contests, and many are making new friends. It’s just an enjoyable experience for everyone.
“We have really good players who are experienced and mature, and we have kids who are beginners. There’s as little downtime as possible to impart as much information onto them while having a good time doing it.”
“It’s a lot about learning as you go,” said coach Alex Ruppert. “If you know that a drill is going too long and the kids are losing interest, you want to change that drill up. We do competition drills, and that makes it a lot of fun. Whether it be shooting and getting a lot of shots up, you just change it up and watch them enjoy themselves.
“I think the biggest thing that we’re trying to achieve here is growth in the game of basketball and making new friends. Hopefully, they’ll learn more about the game and we can expand interest across the Central Mass. area.”
“He’s (Scalabrine) been awesome with the kids shooting around with them. It’s been a lot of fun seeing him shooting. It’s a blast having him here,” Rupert said.
