Community Corner

John Dobosiewicz Memorial Basketball Clinic Scheduled For June 8

Press release provided by Westfield PAL. 

The Westfield PAL announced today that the John Dobosiewicz Memorial Basketball Clinic has been scheduled for 4th through 8th graders on Sunday, June 8, 2014, at the Westfield YMCA. Westfield’s varsity basketball coaches and 7 Division One college basketball players from Westfield have volunteered their time for this one-time youth basketball event to help raise funds for the Dobosiewicz Children's Education Fund (www.dobochildedufund.com)

John, who passed away unexpectedly this past August, has 4 school-age children and volunteered a significant amount of his time to Westfield's youth by coaching boys' and girls' basketball, boys' and girls' soccer, baseball and softball. 

Known as “Coach Dobo” by the numerous Westfield children whom he coached and mentored over the years, John was a kind person who knew how to teach the fundamentals of the game and treated all the kids on his teams as if they were his own. The Westfield PAL is conducting this basketball clinic to provide a unique sports opportunity for Westfield’s youth in John’s memory.

While the clinic is free, each participant is encouraged to be a fundraising leader by creating their own fundraising page atwww.dobochildedufund.com and helping to raise funds for the Dobosiewicz Children's Education Fund in advance of the clinic.

The lecturers at this event will focus on the skills and drills they have found to be instrumental in developing successful basketball players and will include possibly the most accomplished group of basketball talent from Westfield ever assembled for an in-town clinic. The following varsity basketball coaches and professional and Division One college basketball players will be donating their time at the clinic: 

(i) Ron Allen: Assistant varsity girls' basketball coach at Westfield High School (WHS), long-time Westfield PAL director, former WHS boys' varsity 
basketball player; (ii) Russell "Boo" Bowers: 3rd-round NBA draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers, American University's all-time leading scorer with over 2,000 points, guard for the last varsity boys' basketball championship 
team at WHS, winner of the Watchung Conference championship in 1977; (iii) Tamecka Dixon: 3-time WNBA All-Star, Big 12 Player of the Year and All-American at Kansas University, guard for two state championship teams at 
Linden High School.

 (iv) Gary Knapp: Point guard at Princeton University, co-captain of Ivy League championship team; (v) Jim Lane: Member of 4 consecutive Ivy League championship teams at Princeton, center for Union 
Catholic's only boys' basketball state championship team, winner of the 1987 Parochial A state championship; (vi) Joe Marino: Head varsity girls' basketball coach at WHS, coach of the only varsity girls' basketball county championship and back-to-back conference championships in the history of WHS, 2008 Union County Coach of the Year. 

(vii) Daryl Palmieri: Head varsity boys' basketball coach at WHS, director of Daryl Palmieri Shooting Camp, guard at Manhattan College; (viii) Steve Reddy: Shooting guard at Bucknell University, co-captain for WHS's only boys' basketball state championship team, winner of the 1972 Group 4 state championship; and (ix) Bill Ryan: 9th-round NBA draft pick, Princeton's all-time assist leader, captain and point guard for Ivy League championship team. 

The Westfield YMCA has volunteered its main gym for the clinic. The girls’ basketball clinic is scheduled for 12:30-3:00 p.m. (12:30-12:45 p.m. for registration), and the boys’ basketball clinic is scheduled for 3:00-5:30 p.m. (3:00-3:15 p.m. for registration). The clinics are limited to the first 50 girls and the first 50 boys in 4th through 8th grade who register to attend. Applications to register for the clinic can be obtained from the Westfield PAL at nph92@msn.com, JDuganjr@comcast.net and hob.song@hotmail.com.

John “Coach Dobo” Dobosiewicz volunteered a significant amount of his time and energy to help Westfield’s youth, and those involved with this free basketball clinic want to say a thank you back to John for his efforts. Anyone who 
would like to help defray the educational costs of John’s 4 children can do so by creating their own fundraising page or by making a donation at www.dobochildedufund.com.


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