Public Employee Press

Hoop dreams

A soft-spoken coach goes out on the hardwood to help generations of Brooklyn youth attain their goals on the court and in the classroom.

By JANE LaTOUR

Coach Kizer’s kids keep coming, arriving on the court every year to play basketball under his expert tutelage. For over 15 years, Local 1549 member Calvin Kizer, an Eligibility Specialist at the Food Stamp Center in Bedford-Stuyvesant, has donated his time and talents to improving the skills of the youth of Central Brooklyn, both on and off the court.

A fortunate few of Kizer’s kids go on to bigger courts and basketball fame. However, for Coach Kizer, the game offers more than headlines and winning scores to the young boys and girls who participate. It offers discipline that can help them advance on any court in life.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Kizer had his own career as a high school star out on the hardwood. He played for Junior High School 57 and Bushwick High. During his junior year, he served as team captain. “I had coaches and mentors myself,” he recalled. “They were always reaching out to give us an assist in achieving our goals in life.”

His personal favorite among the great athletes of the day was Oscar Robertson, “The Big O.” The African American star came of age in Indiana when the Ku Klux Klan still rode and the civil rights movement forced the United States to give up its legalized, institutional racism and pressed Americans to confront their personal racism.

“I liked his jump shot and the way he played team ball,” said Kizer. “But most of all, I liked his character. He was low-keyed, quiet, and just played a great game.”

Coach Kizer sees basketball as a passport to many of life’s important lessons. “I use the game as a catalyst. We throw kids into the program and just go from there. Many things are available for them, including scholarships, and we provide them with a lot of that information.”

The program is called MECCA Basketball, Inc. — Multicultural Enrichment Center for Community Advancement. On Saturdays, kids from age 6 through the teens come out to the court at Decatur Middle School 35 to run drills and scrimmages. Shooting free throws and making layups, rebounding, passing, running and listening are all part of the day’s activities. “Learning to listen is an important part of this experience,” explained Kizer.

One former student who has gone on to glory is Eugene Harvey, 20. In his first year at Seton Hall University, Harvey led all Big East freshmen in scoring, assists, and minutes per game.

Equal time
Kizer’s grandson, Justin Montgomery, 13, is out there along with the other youngsters. Like his grandfather, he shows a natural aptitude for the game. Kizer’s pride in his grandson’s success is palpable, but he projects the same passion and pride in all his youthful charges. Although each player demonstrates different levels of competitiveness and competence, to Kizer they are all equal. For him, the rewards come from seeing the smiles on their faces, watching them go on to play at the next level, and observing their successes in school.

For more information about the program, contact Coach Kizer at 917-743-7444 or 718-843-1273.