THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 22, 1995 TAG: 9511210136
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Laquisha Jones - 8 years old and 3-foot-something - is a long way from slam dunking.
But the Green Run Elementary School School third-grader is closer to perfecting her perimeter jump shot after attending the Big Blue Basketball Clinic.
Coach Wendy Larry's Old Dominion University Lady Monarchs basketball team began practice earlier this month, but graciously consented to present the clinic for children 6-17 at the Bow Creek Recreation Center. Laquisha and 55 others attended.
They received instruction on various aspects of the game, they ran drills to work on defense, ball handling and shooting and they walked away with knowledge and autographs from the Lady Monarchs.
``My mom says she'll let me play this year,'' said Laquisha. ``I practice at school and at home. I can shoot and dribble.''
Antoine Thompson learned something about dribbling, too. Antoine dribbled the ball toward ODU guard Misty Hart, working on his crossover move. Hart slapped the ball away the first two times. Antoine went by her the third time.
He is 11 and will play in the Plaza Recreation Association's midget league this winter.
Leslie Williams was the central figure who brought the clinic to Bow Creek. A former Lady Monarchs student manager, she works at the Bow Creek Recreation Center.
``I've been involved with ODU women's basketball since I was a little girl,'' said Williams. ``I was a ball girl in the late '70s.''
Williams suggested the idea to the recreation center athletic staff, called coach Larry and got it put together.
Keith Ellen, athletic supervisor at the center, said, ``Originally we didn't think they would have time during the season, but they did. They made time.''
The young basketball players received some cultural diversity with their basketball.
Three of the ODU players were recruited from Europe and Africa by assistant coach Allison Greene. The Dartmouth graduate majored in philosophy and foreign languages and helped her team win four Ivy League championships. After her graduation, Greene spent a year traveling and playing overseas.
When she was offered an academic scholarship to work on her master's degree in International Studies at ODU, Greene used her foreign connections to recruit three players she had met.
Ticha Penicheiro and Mery Andrade came to Norfolk from Portugal; Clarisse Machanguana from Mozambique. People from Mozambique speak Portugese, too, said Greene.
``They received Nike shoes and more equipment over here in their first year than they'd had in their whole lives,'' said Greene. ``They said, `This is paradise.'''
The Lady Monarchs ended the clinic by signing autographs.
One little clinic attendee doesn't even need to be recruited. Ranietta Austin, 6, was asked if she was going away to college to play basketball.
``No way, Jose. I'm going to play for them,'' said the Parkway Elementary School kindergarten student. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Lady Monarch Ticha Penicheiro gives certificates to Brian Striffler
and Matt Sullivan at Bow Creek.
by CNB