Friday and Saturday, Aug. 25, and Aug 26, the Royal Ivey Skills Clinic, along with Defending Your Dream, Inc., celebrated 10 years of working with neighborhood boys and girls aged 8 to 13 in the community of Hollis, Queens. Basketball fundamentals and life skills sessions were again held at Hollis Playground, on the corner of Hollis Avenue and Run DMC Jam Master Jay Way, and at the Renaissance Middle School, free of charge.
The original start date of the clinic was Thursday, Aug. 24. Unfortunately, on that day Royal Ivey and his family had to attend the dual funerals of Ivey’s cousin, Duro Akil, who died by gun violence, and Ivey’s uncle, Okera Ras I, who had a heart attack on hearing of the death of his son Duro. Because of these events and the deaths two weeks earlier of friends Zanu Simpson and Kevin Hayes, Defending Your Dream dedicated this year’s clinic to those deceased relatives and friends. Realizing that the chances of making it to the NBA are astronomically low, Ivey, a former 10-year NBA player, now assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, wanted to expose youngsters to different life objectives and professions. Former guest speakers include ESPN sports analyst Stephen A. Smith, who, like Ivey, attended IS 192.
From calisthenics to scrimmaging with local legends such as Cardozo’s Brian Woodward and Christ the King’s Ira Miller, this year’s clinic was led by former National Junior College Champion Coach Robert Holford Jr., also a neighborhood legend. The event was sponsored by the Jr. NBA and attended by more than 100 neighborhood youth over a two-day period. There was a dance contest and camper poetry contest, along with a performance by the DeVore Dance Center, led by Carolyn DeVore, Ivey’s dance instructor at Benjamin Cardozo High School.
Community service plaques were presented to local barbers C. Rock, Debra Hammond, Sam Simpson and Zanu Simpson (posthumously) by State Senator Leroy Comrie’s office for their work with Ivey’s “Books and Barber Shops” project. This year’s clinic also featured guest speaker Dr. Bob Lee from WBLS and was visited by Councilman I. Daneek Miller and Assemblyman Clyde Vanel.
“We have an obligation to invest in the community and our next generation,” said Vanel. “At times we forget where we come from. I applaud Royal Ivey and his family on knowing how vital this clinic is and the impact it’s making on young lives.”
IS 192 Principal Harriet Diaz added, “It’s about roots in the community, and we like community roots.”