Jarvis McKinney had already put in a full morning of shooting and conditioning drills when his coach tells him to do 20 layups.
After making 15 while running between baskets in the South Philadelphia High gymnasium, the 18-year-old struggles to lift his feet.
Exhausted but satisfied, he breaks for a drink of water.
"I think it’s a good way to work on your skills and see how long you last," said McKinney, one of the first participants in Big Mike’s Basketball Camp.
The five-day camp, which runs through tomorrow, is Mike Richmond’s way of giving back to the community in which he grew up playing hoops. The former All-Public selection and 1982 Southern graduate went on to play basketball with the Portuguese National Team and other international squads.
Now retired, the 6-foot-7 athlete and his brother, Joe Richmond, 38, spent the better part of the last year putting the program together.
The brothers, originally of Fourth Street and Washington Avenue, are using the camp to teach sportsmanship, teamwork, character, shooting, offense and defense.
"This is not a babysitting camp," Mike Richmond said during Monday’s session. "These kids are going to learn basic fundamentals. That’s what got me to where I am today."
The 39-year-old played a total of 13 years overseas. McKinney, who is Mike Richmond’s cousin, believes he’ll benefit from his expert instruction. "I want to be a better player," the Strath Haven High senior said. "I don’t want to just get noticed, I want to play the game the right way."
Since this year’s inaugural camp only includes McKinney and one other player, West Philadelphia resident Frank Bagley, the athletes are receiving plenty of personal attention.
The Richmond brothers just received clearance from the School District of Philadelphia to use the gym a couple of weeks ago, leaving little time to recruit players.
"We’ve got a lot we want to teach, we just need kids to teach," said Joe Richmond, a 1984 Southern grad.
The basketball camp is the latest component of Richmond Group International, which the brothers cofounded in November 1998 with the mission of using sports as a vehicle to enrich lives. The company also holds free-agent scout camps that help players obtain contracts to play professionally in Europe, South America and Asia. In addition, the Richmond Group takes touring teams to Europe and around the United States.
The brothers also tie basketball into their I Am Focused nonprofit organization, geared at the direction, guidance and education of youths in Philadelphia and the tri-state area. The South Philadelphia-based organization is scheduling several all-star basketball games between players involved in the Richmonds’ organization and members of the Philadelphia Police Department. The contests will be held in conjunction with KidCare Photo Events, where parents can obtain instant pictures of their children in an ID booklet in the event the child is ever lost or kidnapped.
"I’ve responded to many homes where a kid has gone missing, and the parents scramble to find a picture with the kid’s information on it," said Tim Higgins, a narcotics officer and former Fourth District officer involved in the I Am Focused initiative.
The Richmonds’ goal of helping kids of all ages might very well pay off for their teenage campers.
Bagley, 14, hopes his week of training with Mike and Joe Richmond will lead to a starting spot on Ben Franklin High’s junior varsity basketball team. He has some big footsteps to follow, as his father Frank enjoyed a standout career at Edward Bok Tech that included being the Public League’s scoring champion.
Bagley said for now, he is more concerned with technique than setting his own records.
"I just wanted to get my basketball skills together to help me my freshman year," he said.
Like McKinney, Bagley quickly learned that proper conditioning is as important as hitting those crucial foul shots. The Richmonds don’t accept fatigue as a reason for missing the basket.
"Suck it up!" Mike shouts as the two players run up and down the court.
Later, he said, "this is how you tell who is conditioned."
Bagley mustered enough energy to hit 20 layups, even if he did have to take a few extra shots.
"After practicing all day, it’s kind of tiring," Bagley said. "I should be a little stronger as we go on."
Maybe by next summer’s camp, 20 layups will seem like child’s play. The Richmonds are already planning for their next session at Southern. Instead of teaching players how to make fancy no-look passes, the brothers will continue focusing on the fundamentals. Those lessons could be the foundation for varsity playing time, college scholarships and professional basketball opportunities. It’s the fundamentals that helped Big Mike win European championships, and he believes those early lessons play themselves out at the highest level of the sport.
"When the last two teams are playing in the NBA Finals, the team that plays better basic basketball is going to win," he said.
