BEN GORDON WEEKEND: CLINIC

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Ben Gordon youth basketball clinic takes place at Mt. Vernon's Hooperstown

By Roger Sauerhaft
As the second day of Ben Gordon Weekend 2008 in Mount Vernon kicked off Friday morning, August 15, a large group of starry-eyed youths at Hooperstown were treated to a visit from the man for whom the weekend is named after.
Hooperstown is a relatively new 20,000+ sq. ft. air conditioned, state-of-the-art indoor basketball facility, located on Sandford Boulevard, near the Pelham border.
The aspiring athletes came from near and far to attend a clinic led by former UConn Huskie Rashamel Jones, with Gordon coming to preach a couple of the qualities that led him to fame.
“Hard work and dedication are the keys to my success and you can apply that to whatever you do in life,” said Gordon. “You guys can do anything that you put your mind to.”
Gordon also stated that he always had the goal of one day playing in the NBA, and along the way he was able to tune out the naysayers and use their negativity for personal motivation,
The session was then turned over to the youthful crowd, many of whom had yet to celebrate their tenth birthdays, as Gordon fielded questions. Many questions concerned the bright lights and the glamour of the NBA. One male member of the audience posed the question of whether or not Gordon would be returning to the Chicago Bulls. Gordon, a restricted free agent who has been reported to be at an impasse in contract negotiations with his team, jokingly gestured toward his agent before saying he did not know.

The session returned to a more serious tone after Jones keenly suggested Gordon describe the importance of education in life, to which Gordon responded that it meant everything in life.
“Athletics and education go hand in hand,” said Gordon. “When I’m finished with basketball, what’s going to make me successful is what education I have.”
Gordon stressed that not only was education needed to survive in the corporate world, but also in everyday life, as being able to articulate properly is an essential skill. Apparently, as hard as it may seem for an adolescent to do, young Ben Gordon practiced exactly what he now preaches as a grown-up, as his mother Yvonne noticed something unique in her son early on.
“He was very disciplined, that was natural (for him), and he was very keen on doing what he was told to do that would improve his game,” explained Yvonne, who said his discipline carried off the court as well. “I never had a problem with him. He’d have to be up early, he’d have to go out, he’d have to make the train…in fact he pestered me, he disciplined me! He just knew what he wanted to do (in life) and what he needed to get there.”
Following his talk, Gordon graciously sat and posed for pictures and signed autographs for the young athletes, with Mayor Clinton I. Young near by. When asked how his message concerning dedication resonated with his audience, Gordon thought things had gone well.
“They have to be dedicated, committed, and they really have to love whatever it is they want to accomplish in life…they’re not going to be successful unless they really dedicate and commit themselves,” summarized Gordon. “Education is more important than sports, not everyone can be a professional athlete. Even when I’m done playing, I still have a long, long way to go in life, so my education is what will help me in the real world. I just tried to get that across to them and I think it went well.”