(CMEK) Dave Hopla, the former shooting coach of the New York Knicks who now privately trains several players in the NBA, was a special guest clinician at CMEK camp. Coach Hopla treated the kids to a shooting exhibition where he made hundreds of shots from all over the court while only missing twice. During the performance, he spoke about work ethic, shooting technique, the love of the game and much more.

Coach Hopla specifically taught how to catch the ball in the correct position, how to step correctly into your shot and where to aim. He stressed footwork, being square and having positive thoughts. He reinforced that shooting is a skill that takes a lot of time, focused effort and a daily commitment. He showed the kids his notebook where he tracks his shooting practices.

Then the kids participated in various shooting drills where they shot off the dribble, shot off the pass and shot out of the triple threat position. Coach Hopla graciously participated in “Beat The Coach” challenges with several campers.

The special one-day program concluded with games where the kids, you guessed it, showed all their improved shooting!

Starting the week of August 8, Ron Harper Jr of the Toronto Raptors and Tyson Etienne of the Atlanta Hawks will join the stellar coaching staff at CMEK for the remainder of the summer.

For more information on CMEK’s upcoming end of summer camps this August, please email [email protected].