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Mike Glenn Basketball Camp for the Hearing Impaired
Mike Glenn, former NBA player and announcer, has hosted the Mike Glenn Camp for the Hearing Impaired for the last 27 years. This article highlights the 2005 camp.
(PRWEB) May 5, 2006 -- When William (Red) Holzman coached the New York Knicks to two championships in the 1970’s, names such as Bill Bradley, Dave Debuschere, Walt Frazier, Phil Jackson, Jerry Lucas, and Willis Reed come to mind as key contributors on the court. Incidentally, these players became quite successful after their playing days were long over (thanks in part to Red). When these players retired, Red Holzman continued coaching the New York Knicks until 1982. Holzman was able to coach an outstanding citizen named Mike Glenn from 1979 to 1981.
Glenn, like Frazier, grew up in the Atlanta area and played college ball at Southern Illinois, where he was an Academic All-American. He learned the game from his Dad, Charles Glenn, who was a teacher and coach at he Georgia School for the Deaf in Cave Spring. Glenn, who is now Commissioner of the World Basketball Association, also credit’s the Deaf (community) for teaching him about the game of basketball and about the game of life. Glenn became very proficient in American Sign Language (ASL), and learned about Deaf culture by interacting with his Dad’s students.
In 1980, as a way of giving back to the Deaf, Mike Glenn started the Mike Glenn Basketball Camp for the Hearing Impaired while a member of the New York Knicks. The first camp was held at the Millneck School for the Deaf in Long Island, New York. Frank Cohen won the most valuable player (MVP) award for his performance during the week. Mike Glenn’s second, third, and fourth camps (1981, 1982, and 1983) saw a player named Willie Brown garner MVP honors. Brown, under Glenn’s tutelage, sharpened his skills to receive a basketball scholarship from Hofstra University. Brown played two seasons at Hofstra before transferring to Georgia State (where he reunited with Glenn who was then with the Atlanta Hawks). The NBA recognized Glenn for his work in 1981 by presenting him with the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.
Since 1985, the camp has been held exclusively in Decatur, Georgia. This year’s camp marked the 26th anniversary of the Mike Glenn Camp. The 26th annual camp started with a banquet where Glenn honored Ms. Jennie Glasgow, a long time camp supporter, and James “Red” Moore, a former Negro League first baseman with the Atlanta Black Crackers, Baltimore Elite Giants, and Newark Eagles.
Intense basketball became the focus the next five days where athletes were privy to drills, guest appearances by former Harlem Globetrotter Legends Michael Douglas and Harold Hubbard, former NBA player Wes Mathews, and current Miami Heat star Shandon Anderson, three on three competition, and five on five competition. The top players for the week represented the camp in the annual boys and girls all-star games, which were both won the by the campers against local Atlanta competition. Many of the coaches, from as far as Colorado and New Jersey, have traveled at their own expense for over twenty years to be part of the Mike Glenn Experience.
*This article may not be used without permission from Stuart Klugler
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