vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #606 / Sports / Reading article...

Tom Newell, an NBA legend with 25-years experience in basketball, held a week of coaching clinics in Vladivostok in the beginning of February, but succeeded in accomplishing much more than demonstrating proper dribbling, passing and shooting techniques.

His greatest impact, in fact, happened off the court. His instructions and guidance for the coaches of Primorye’s basketball clubs and his advice to players and students will make them not only better basketball players, but more productive members of their communities as well.

The clinics with the Primorsky basketball coaches exceeded Newell’s expectations: “It was great. We talked about putting together a coaches’ association to help raise awareness to youth basketball,” he revealed.

Newell intends to secure support from US organizations for this new non profit entity. The goal is to “provide a platform that allows teaching, development and advancement of the game of basketball through proper instruction and coaches,” he noted.

While Newell will not head this association, he will be a key advisor, providing the template and protocol and ensuring that it is put in place and then left to the locals to advance it. He is donating 150 t-shirts for the kids’ camps that the association will conduct this summer.

Observing Vladivostok players on the court, Newell stated decisively that the most distinct feature separating basketball players in the United States and Russia is jumping ability and overall strength. “So much more basketball is played in the United States and the reasons for that are resources. Here, they do not have the venues as we have in America,” Newell explained.

The lack of public courts was very surprising to him. In fact that was part of his overall impression of Vladivostok. He called it a great city, but noticed that the infrastructure needs to be altered. Everything from the streets to some of the buildings needs a makeover. Along with that, he pointed out the city’s desperate need for a community center. According to him, such centers are beneficial for the youth as well as the elderly, promoting sports and education among all age groups.

Newell called attention to a success story in Katchacan, Alaska, where there was a critical drug and alcohol problem among the adolescents in 1991. Newell, who ran basketball camps in Katchacan, recommended that the city administration build a community center which would draw the youth to sports instead of getting into illegal activities. They need a “venue where they can learn and develop their bodies and minds and have great teachers and leaders,” Newell insisted. Six years later, Katchacan finished building a community center furnished with a dance studio, martial arts facilities and services for the elderly.

Citing Russia’s constant success in not only the Olympic Games but the World Championships and Euro Championships as well, Newell highly credited the administrators. “It is the Russians that set the standards for advancing basketball in Europe,” the coach contended as he expressed his admiration for the Russian game and system. According to him, the Russians, for some reason, are overlooked when it comes to Euro basketball.

“I think some of the best minds in [European] basketball are in Russia,” he said. As a result, Newell predicted that more and more Russian players will be heading to America and the NBA in the next five years. This would continue Russia’s history of sending basketball players to foreign countries with a high rate of success.

While playing professional basketball in Belgium in 1971 as a player-coach, it was then that Tom Newell realized that he wanted to spend his life immersed in the game. His dream was to coach internationally. He spent the next 25 years as a scout, coach, administrator and observer for a number of NBA teams including the Seattle Sonics, Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers.

In 1995 Newell became head coach of the Greek professional team, Iraklis. Soon Coach Newell found himself conducting international clinics in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. In October 2007, Newell traveled to Vladivostok, Russia as head coach of the Chinese team from Changchun to take part in an international tournament sponsored by the local team, Spartak. This February, he was invited to deliver seminars to Primorye coaches.

On Monday Newell spoke before teachers and students at the Institute of Physical Education of the Ussurisk State Pedagogical Institute. His advice to them focused on applying their educations in order to advance their communities. “What can [I] do to affect change in a positive way? It’s one thing to receive an education and another to apply that education” Newell questioned his audience.

Becoming a positive role model and strengthening their society is “the greatest contribution” that students today can do for their world, the coach enthusiastically declared. Planting seeds to influence the next generation to follow suit, in order to enhance our communities is a good lesson for everyone.