Will Brooklyn Basketball clinics, when they come to Modell's, cost $575 for five days? That's what they cost elsewhere this summer. (Programs at schools are free.)

The Modell's store view from tip of arena plaza
Photo Dec. 14, 2022: Norman Oder

One question that surfaced when the Brooklyn Nets 'parent company, BSE Global, announced plans to hold Brooklyn Basketball youth camps at the site of the former Modell's store, across from the Barclays Center, was: how much would they cost?

The answer, most likely, is a lot, since Brooklyn Basketball's free programs are located at school gyms.

Current for-fee programs range from $200 for three days, $595 for five days, six hour days. 

No wonder BSE Global has been cagey.

As I reported last September, Empire State Development (ESD), the state authority that oversees/shepherds the project, didn't know whether they'd be free or for-fee. (Keep in mind, BSE Global would have to renovate the store.)

The handout, as with a presentation in November at a Quality of Life meeting, cited the "signature program" of free basketball clinics to students in Brooklyn.

So I asked a question raised at the AY CDC meeting: are the camps and clinics free or for-fee?

BSE Global's Marissa Shorenstein said most are free, since BSE Global partners with the Department of Education. "Our additional programming is a mixture of both free and fee-based programming," she added, noting that they offer sliding-scale fees. (I didn't see any reference to a sliding scale on the Brooklyn Basketball page.)

The camps and clinics at Modell's, she said, would be consistent with the overall statistics that she provided.

That didn't quite answer the question, since the Modell's site, of course, would not be a school program. So it would be consistent with the non-school, fee-based programs.

The school clinics

Let's take a look at the current page for Brooklyn Basketball. It states "News: Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty Partner With New York City Public Schools to Expand Youth Basketball Clinics," but there's no hyperlink.

A web search leads to a March 22, 2023 press release Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty Partner With New York City Public Schools to Expand Youth Basketball Clinics, which states:

The Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty are expanding their community-based youth basketball clinics through a partnership with New York City Public Schools. Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, the Nets and Liberty will provide basketball clinics free-of-charge to NYC public elementary and middle schools in Brooklyn during gym periods where students will learn basketball fundamentals, along with critical off-the-court life and leadership skills. The teams were previously operating after-school clinics at schools in Brooklyn on an individual basis.

That' can't be transposed to Modell's. 

Rather, the for-fee programs would be, at a more advantageous location--especially in terms of transit access--than the current locations.

What's available

As stated, "Brooklyn Basketball Camps and Clinics, for boys and girls ages 6-14, provide players of all skill levels an opportunity to learn the game while experiencing basketball the 'Brooklyn Way.'"

A Mini Camp-Mid-Winter will be held 9 am to 3 pm daily Feb. 17-19, for children 6 to 14 years old. It costs $200. The location is Hellenic Classical Charter School, 646 5th Ave, in what some call the South South Slope.

Each camper will receive a Brooklyn Basketball T-Shirt and two tickets to the Brooklyn Nets game closest to the days of the camp. (So this helps fill seats.)

A Spring Break: Mini Camp for girls only, will be held 9 am to 3 pm daily April 14-16, for girls 10 to 15 years old. It also costs $200. The location is Uncommon Charter High School, 1485 Pacific Street, where Crown Heights nudges up toward Bedford-Stuyvesant.

A series of five-day summer camps, 9 am to 3 pm daily, for children 6 to 14 years old, each costs $575. Camp 1 is at Brooklyn College, in Flatbush. Camp 2 is at Hellenic Classical Charter School. Camp 3 is at Brooklyn College. Camp 4 is at Hellenic. Camp 5 is at Hellenic.

 

(Note these seem more affordable than the $645 cited last year, though I'm not sure if they're exactly commensurate.)

 New is Brooklyn Basketball’s specialty training program, Hoop Sessions, aimed at boys and girls, ages 8-11 of all skill levels and abilities, focusing on individual skill development, the importance of fundamentals, and the development of a healthy team attitude.

The Winter Session will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6-8 pm, from March 4 through June 5. That's 14 weeks and 28 sessions, unless they take a week off for spring break. The cost is $1,000.

The sessions will be held at Khalil Gibran International Academy, not far from the Barclays Center, where Boerum Hill edges into Downtown Brooklyn. Still, Modell's would be even closer to transit, and across the street from the arena.

The potential Modell's configuration

More from the 2023 press release

From the document:

The expansion of the Nets and Liberty youth basketball clinic program brings the excitement of the NBA and WNBA to New York City Public School students while simultaneously providing them with physical and mental conditioning, and social health benefits associated with regular group physical activity. Every week, the Nets and Liberty will host 20 clinics at various schools that will be operated by youth basketball coaches from the teams. New York City Public Schools will identify participating schools on a rolling basis throughout 2023 and over the course of the year, all elementary and middle schools in Brooklyn will have a chance to participate in the program, reaching approximately 50,000 youth by the end of 2023.

Of course, it's also a promotional opportunity, boosting the Nets and the Liberty. By the way, that's long-gone Coach Jacque Vaughn on the left, next to Liberty mascot Ellie the Elephant.

 

Are they helping kids, using them as props, or both? 

From the press release:

“We have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on young individuals as our clinic programs not only teach basketball fundamentals but are also designed to provide critical life and leadership skills off the court and in the classroom,” said Sam Zussman, CEO of BSE Global, parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty. “The Nets and Liberty are excited to deepen our relationship with New York City Public Schools and play a more meaningful role in the community and the lives of its residents.”