A youth program, started by a former NBA player, has been making its way across the country and stopped off in Queens over the weekend. NY1’s Angi Gonzalez has a look at how the effort is teaching kids how to succeed both on and off the court.
As a former Knicks player, Allan Houston is no stranger to the court.
Now, as the Knicks Assistant General Manager and GM for their NBA development team, Houston has developed a knack for mentoring young talent.
"Sometimes you just feel like you have something to share," Houston explained.
So, Houston came up with a youth development program and basketball clinic that focuses on five principals.
The five principals that make up Houston’s FISLL program are Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership and Legacy.
With help from Borough President Melinda Katz and a few famous friends, including Knicks forward and Queens native Kyle O’Quinn, Houston brought his program to the Louis Armstrong Recreational Center in Corona on Saturday.
"All the coaches that I've had talked about integrity and playing the right way, making the right decision. So, all the fundamentals of basketball can be applied to these five principals of FISLL," added Houston.
While much of the program's activities do take place on the court the lessons learned - can be applied to other areas of life.
"We really want to help the kids understand that, the way that you're training your body and mind academically, you can also train your inner being and your spirit and that's what we want to bring together," Houston said.
It's an approach that some kids and parents at the clinic hadn’t encountered before but embraced.
"I was very confused at first. Then, I got a little excited because when i really started to look at the fundamentals, it was really fun," said one participant.
"I see his eyes open up and he likes it and I need to put him in more situations where he's around different people doing basketball things," said one parent about his child’s participation in the program.
The length of program varies but can last up to seven weeks.
For more information on the FISLL program go to www.allanhouston.com.