Oceanside Basketball camp honors legendary coach Vito Montelli

This summer, the Oceanside Hard 2 Guard Basketball Camp dedicated its season to the late Vito Montelli, a legendary basketball coach with over 50 years of coaching experience.

The legendary basketball coach of St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, Connecticut. Montelli, who passed away on July 7, 2023, holds the record as Connecticut’s all-time winningest basketball coach. Jason Manning, a social studies teacher at Oceanside High School, has been involved with the Hard 2 Guard Basketball Camp since its early days. A Connecticut native and current resident, he commutes to Oceanside High School, played for Montelli, and later captained his high school team to a state championship, credits much of his own coaching philosophy and work ethic to Montelli’s influence.

“My father played for him and won a state championship in 1975 and then I played for him and we won a state championship in 1996 but we have this nice connection with both father and son. I look back and reflect on the life lessons he taught me, about family, about faith, about connecting with people. The work ethic I have today is deeply rooted in what he taught me and shaped me to be the man I am today.”

To honor Montelli’s memory, Manning chose maroon and gold as the camp’s colors this year—reflecting the colors of St. Joseph High School. “This was our first camp since his passing, and it was important to me to pay tribute to him,” Manning explained. “The color scheme gave me a chance to share his story and legacy with the campers and staff. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to me and those who knew him.”

The camp, originally started by Dan Keegan, a former Oceanside High School basketball coach, was passed down through several hands before Manning and his co-director, Todd Nussen, took the reins three years ago. Nussen, also a social studies teacher at Oceanside High School, has partnered with Manning to ensure that the camp continues to thrive.

This year’s camp, which spanned two weeks, saw a strong turnout with around 110 participants ranging from second graders to ninth graders. Manning emphasized that this diverse age range allows the camp to cater to both beginners and those with aspirations of making their school’s basketball teams.

“We had a good mix of really young kids and those entering high school,” Manning said. “It’s a great number, and we’re really happy with the way the camp went this year. The kids love the program, and that means the world to us.”

The structure of the camp is designed to cater to the varying skill levels and developmental stages of the participants. The camp is divided into three divisions: The Big East (second to fourth graders), the ACC (fifth and sixth graders), and the NBA (seventh to ninth graders).

Each day at camp concludes with the “Awards of the Day” ceremony, a tradition that emphasizes the camp’s core values of skill development, hustle, and sportsmanship. Campers who excel in these areas are recognized, and each award recipient gets the chance to shoot for a prize.

“The whole camp goes wild when a youngster makes a shot in front of everyone,” Manning said, highlighting the sense of camaraderie and support that permeates the camp.

This positive response has led Manning and Nussen to consider expanding the camp in the future.

“We’ve had a lot of great feedback from parents, and we’re exploring ways to possibly expand the camp into the fall because they keep asking if we do more,” Manning mentioned.

For parents interested in enrolling their children in next year’s camp, Manning encourages them to reach out for more information. The Hard 2 Guard Basketball Camp can be contacted via email at hard2guardbasketballcamp@gmail.com or by phone at 516-860-6747.