Lynbrook summer basketball camp is a slam dunk

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Kevin McMahon said basketball is in his blood. It is his passion for the sport that led him and his brother, Mike, to start their own summer basketball camp at Greis Park in Lynbrook.

“Our philosophy is that hard work, dedication pays off,” Kevin said. “We teach all the things that kids need, not just in basketball, but in school and life in general.”

The Lynbrook Future Stars Basketball Camp was open to students in second through ninth grade. The boys’ camp ran on the week of July 30 through Aug. 3, while the girls’ camp was from Aug. 6 through 10. Kevin said he hopes to expand the camp as the years pass, but since it is only in its second year, he and his brother decided to make it a weeklong event, charging patrons $225 per camper.

In all, about 70 kids took to the court for camp, spending five hours per day learning the fundamentals of ball-handling, dribbling conditioning, shooting and passing. They also took part in many scrimmages, and the McMahons shot videos of the campers during games and practices to show them what they did right and the areas of their game that they need to improve.

At the end of the week, the students were rewarded with pizza. “They’re out there trying to learn and play basketball, so I try and make it fun for them,” Kevin said.

The campers also received a special visit from Kevin and Mike’s father, James McMahon, who coached the Lynbrook girls’ basketball team to a county championship in 1978 and also coached the junior varsity boys’ team. James coached at the school for more than a decade and taught social studies, science and math at Lynbrook North Middle School for 40 years.

James came from Delaware to speak to the campers, offering them basketball pointers. Kevin said he and his brother’s love of the game stems from their father. They both played basketball at Lynbrook, as Kevin was part of the county championship-winning teams in 1988 and 1989, and Mike played varsity from freshman through senior year in the early 1990s.

In its second year, Kevin said, the camp has grown a lot and he hopes to continue to make it bigger and greater. “We’re just in the beginning stages of it, but we feel like this is something that’s gonna go on for a long time,” Kevin said. “It’s in our blood.”

Those interested in joining the camp next summer should add Kevin on Facebook, he said.