Public Employee Press

Profile in Public Service
Big assist

In school and on the court, Local 372 member scores

Whether it’s St. John’s alum Mark Jackson or Lincoln High’s Stephon Marbury, who realized their hopes of playing at the Garden in a New York Knicks jersey, or youngsters whose hoop dreams never went beyond their neighborhood church league, they all owe a debt of gratitude to a special breed of people. These exceptional men and women often wake up early on Saturday mornings, dig deep into their pockets to pay for unexpected expenses, drive kids to basketball games in unfamiliar neighborhoods and every so often have to calm down an irate parent who insists that their child is a basketball prodigy.

But most importantly these special people provide a healthy alternative, a safe space away from dangerous city streets, for scores of youngsters.

Jenneil Joseph, a member of Board of Education Employees Local 372, is proud to be one of those singular New Yorkers who gladly volunteer their time to work with kids — helping them develop their jump shot, their crossover move and most important, their character.

“This is what I love to do,” says the Brownsville native, as kids filter into the gym at IS 291 in Bushwick for practice on a crisp Saturday afternoon. Although the gym fills up quickly with around 35 youngsters who range from 10-year-olds to high school freshmen, Joseph is hardly stressed. “Sometimes we have more kids,” says the cafeteria worker from IS 240 in Brooklyn. “We let the younger ones play with the older boys so that they develop their confidence.”

Joseph works on a team with coaches Michael Campbell and Gary Shears, who founded the Brooklyn Ballers team. “She does a great a job with the kids,” says Campbell, who is also a Brooklyn native and knows the streets all too well. “We have to keep the kids off the streets, there’s no doubt about that.”

During the summer months Chris Silfa, a seventh grader from the neighborhood, usually plays baseball. “Now I have something to do during the winter,” says the 13-year-old, who comes from a family of six children and whose favorite subject is math. “I’ve only been playing basketball for a year, but it’s a lot of fun,” he says.

The Brooklyn Ballers are successful on the court. They have played in tournaments around the city and have traveled to Philadelphia and all the way to Las Vegas for tournaments.

But Joseph also aspires to success off the court. “We teach these kids brotherhood and stress school. If they have poor grades, they don’t play,” says Joseph. “We want them to shoot hoops, not guns.”

— Alfredo Alvarado