66 The QUEE NS Courier • december 5, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com sports CAMPS & CLINICS COURTING FUN Nets star hosts youth camp BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected] Dozens of Queens campers learned Brooklyn basketball. Nets All-Star center Brook Lopez hosted his second annual youth basketball camp on Sunday, December 1 at Fitzgerald Gymnasium in Queens College. “I was doing these camps not that long ago and I have very fond memories of that,” Lopez said. “So I really enjoyed my time out here.” Lopez, as well as some college coaches, directed the children on basketball fundamentals, such as passing, shooting and playing defense. The clinic was open to boys and girls from grades 1-12 and sought to teach the children more difficult workouts to improve their skills, but also to make sure that they had fun. “I really want these kids to realize how fun this sport could be, create bonds through the game and teach a basic basic and ideal work ethic as well,” Lopez said. The basketball camp ran from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and participants received an autograph from Lopez, a team photo with the NBA player and a camp T-shirt. Some lucky participants received extra awards for various accomplishments as well. “When he looks upon his memories after he becomes a professional NBA player he will reflect on this day and say I played with Brook Lopez when I was 12 years old,” said Rosedale resident Keisha Spivey, whose son took part in the camp. THE COURIER/Photo by Liam La Guerre Brooklyn Nets All-Star Center Brook Lopez taught kids basketball skills in his youth camp at Queens College. Queens native hopes youth baseball clinic is A HIT BY LIAM LA GUERE [email protected] A Queens native is hoping to establish a new baseball culture in the borough to foster more skilled players. Anthony Iapoce, currently a hitting coordinator with the Chicago Cubs, has two decades of professional baseball experience playing and coaching with various teams. He will host his first youth baseball clinic on Saturday, December 14 at Fitzgerald Gym at Queens College from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. “The most important factor in the camp is just being influential to the kids and teaching them the right fundamentals when it comes to the game,” Iapoce said. The camp is the first in a series he hopes to expand before introducing a borough-wide clinic for coaches to learn advance drills and network. Iapoce, who is a native of Astoria, grew up playing baseball in Queens. He played Catholic Youth Organization baseball at St. Joseph’s parish, and later at Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in East Elmhurst. After playing college baseball for Lamar University in Texas, he played for 11 years in the minor leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers and the Florida Marlins (now Miami Marlins), where he compiled a .273 batting average in 845 games and reached Triple-A-- the highest level before the major league. After he stopped playing baseball, he became a coach in the Marlin’s minor league system and then a hitting coordinator with the Toronto Blue Jays. Last year, he received a call from the Cubs to provide hitting guidance for their minor league players. Having traveled around the country for a long time, he recently moved back to Queens and is excited about establishing a camp in his hometown. “This is a huge deal for me, because it’s the first camp I’ll do where I’m from,” Iapoce said. “It hits the heart pretty good. It gives you goosebumps just talking about it.” His clinic at Queens College will be limited to about 35 players so that he can give more personal attention to each participant. Iapoce Astoria Native Anthony Iapoce will host his first youth baseball clinic on Saturday, December 14 at Fitzgerald Gym at Queens College. and fellow minor league coaches and players will focus on improving the youngsters’ fundamentals and mechanics in all positions. He hopes to create the coaches’ clinic based on the success of the camps. “What we are trying to do in Chicago is create a winning culture in the minor leagues,” Iapoce said. “We are trying to create this culture Photo courtesy of Anthony Iapoce of teaching in Queens, more importantly to the coaches.” For more information about Iapoce’s baseball clinic, contact him at 347-351-5233 or visit h t t p s : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / IapoceBaseball. The camp cost $145 for one player or $125 per player for a group of five and is open to boys and girls from ages nine to 13.
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