First Basketball Clinic Teams up With Rider University

The City of Trenton started its first clinic in partnership with the Rider University Basketball team. 

The Clinic, which hosted 50 kids at Cadwalader Park’s basketball court this past Saturday, held two sessions for grades two to four and for five and up. 

La’Keisha Sutton, Supervisor of Recreation with an emphasis on the basketball program, said that she was very grateful to have the Rider’s basketball team come out to support local kids. 

“We are very lucky to have the Rider Men’s Basketball Team come out. They’re doing a clinic for our kids…Just teaching the game, giving positive energy and instruction,” Sutton said. 

The partnership came about after the Rider team reached out to the Department of Natural Resources, Recreation, and Culture. Kevin Bagget, Head Coach at Rider University, said they wanted to help give back to the community in their backyard.  “We thought this would be an opportunity for us to reach back into the community…just be able to educate and teach these young men and women the fundamentals of basketball,” Bagget said.

Trenton kids were able to practice their dribbles, shoot baskets, and work on their form. The hope after this clinic is to create summer-long training sessions for Trenton residents. Ned White, a youth development specialist with The Department of Natural Resources, Recreation and Culture, said that he wants to see clinics like this in every sport.  “This initiative today is really about basketball, as a collaboration with us and to connect our city, our kids, with the higher education here in the area, Mercer County, but also to kind of open up the door for our kids to be able to come out and enjoy our parks again,” White said.

Tangela Hunter, a Trenton resident and mother, said that she would keep coming back as long as the program is around. “I’m excited, we’ve been looking for a basketball program for a long time to get into,” Hunter said. “I think this is important because it gives the kids something to do and keeps them out of trouble… I don’t think there are a lot of activities for the kids…I think folks should be, you know, excited to bring their kids, especially when it’s free.” 

The next clinic will be on May 21. To register, reach out to La’Keisha Sutton at (609)-414-5155. 

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