A new multi-court training facility opened on Flatbush Avenue, right across the street from the Barclays Center.
The courts are operated by Brooklyn Basketball, a youth program affiliated with the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty.
What You Need To Know
A new multi-court training facility opened on Flatbush Avenue, right across the street from the Barclays Center
The courts are operated by Brooklyn Basketball, a youth program affiliated with the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty
The new facility has a shooting lab called Shoot 360, which uses cutting-edge technology to help kids improve their shot
It’s the only training facility in the Northeast with this kind of technology
Some of the professional players were at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in September, inspiring the next generation of players. The goal is to have a community-first basketball experience.
Avalon Wilsonwagner is a hardcore basketball player at just 8-years old. She says playing at the new Brooklyn Basketball Training Center is “really, really, really, really fun.”
“I got a lot better at shooting,” she said. “You can get better at everything here.”
For many of the kids, practicing across the street from the Barclays Center is inspiring.
“We can just, like, look at Barclays and be like, ‘wow,’” Wilsonwagner said.
Kids ages 6 to 17 can sign up for clinics, which offer need-based financial aid. Organizers say the hope is to unlock the full potential of these young players.
Marissa Shorenstein, chief external affairs officer of Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty, says the clinics help kids off the court too.
“It’s an extension of a program that existed where we serve 200+ schools across the borough of Brooklyn every day with training,” she said. “Now the community can come here, right in the heart of Brooklyn, across the street from Barclays Center, to learn after school.”
Shorenstein says the program teaches them “a lot of skills that are useful for life.”
“It teaches them leadership. It teaches them working together as a team,” she said.
That’s the mentality head coach Michael Collins brings to each practice.
“I hope that they walk out the door three inches taller. I think that’s the most important thing. Just a sense of pride,” Collins said.
That boost in self-esteem is something Wilsonwagner feels, especially after practicing on Wednesdays, where all the programming is just for girls.
“I used to play with a lot of boys, and that was not fun,” Wilsonwagner said. “Boys just like chuck up threes and girls actually really play.”
A huge appeal of the new training center is a shooting lab called Shoot 360, which uses cutting-edge technology to help kids improve their shot and their game. This training facility is the only place in the Northeast with this kind of technology.