Frosh Coach to Start Basketball Clinic for Poor

In the off season many college basketball coaches run lucrative clinics where they import high powered teachers and prestigious pro ballplayers to instruct the children of the upper middle classes. Occassionally poor black kids are given scholarships, but not often.

Freshman basketball coach John Harvey is starting a clinic this summer at a small liberal arts college in New Hampshire designed to give similar opportunities to high school students who come from low income homes or whose parents are on welfare. In an interview yesterday Harvey explained that he did not expect his program to be run the way most basketball clinics are organized.

"I think you have to realize that just teaching these kids the fundamentals of basketball is not enough to get them ready for college. I hope that in addition to running a clinic, the counselors and I will be able to give the guys some idea of what they have to do to apply to college successfully."

Already a number of the members of the varsity basketball team have indicated an interest in working at the camp and Harvey said that senior forward Eric Fox and manager Arthur Cox were the co-managers of the camp. Harvey also said that Tony Jenkins would be a counselor.

In addition to running a basketball program. Harvey also hopes to direct a separate ecology program. While acknowledging that he knows little about the technical aspects of the subject, he indicated that he was trying to recruit sectionmen from Nat Sci environment courses to teach at the camp.

"Our goal is not just to give the kids a sense of the woods. We want to teach the kids about recycling and about ways of preserving the environment. The people I hope to attract probably have never considered these issues and I think we have a perfect opportunity to give them that chance."

In order to finance the program, Harvey has applied for a grant from the Department of Health Education and Welfare and said that at this point, he is optimistic about the possibilities of being financed.

Unlike many coaches who get their jobs because they know someone in the athletic department, Harvey got his job by simply walking into coach Bob Harrison's office one day in 1968 and volunteering to help out.

"It was in Harrison's first year and I had come to Boston College to get my doctorate," Harvey recalled. "I told him that I had some free time and would like to help out. I had coached basketball for 10 years straight in Virginia and I wasn't ready to get out of the game."

During Harrison's first season, Harvey worked as a scout and occasionally helped out in practice. The next year in 1969-1970, he got a break when the freshman basketball coach quit at mid-season. Harvey moved in and has held the job ever since.

Gen Ed

At about the same time he volunteered his services to Harrison, Harvey walked over to 1737 Cambridge Street and offered to help out in the Gen Ed office.

"I talked to Ted Wilcox (then the director of the program) and told him I was working on a PhD. in college administration and that I would like to help out around the office a few hours a week. When a position opened up as assistant to the Director, I was around to get the job."

In addition to coaching freshman basketball, Harvey also took over the J.V. baseball team and then in 1970-1971 became freshman coach.

Harvey rejects the image of the coach as a dictatorial jock, blindly ordering his players around. "Especially at Harvard a coach must meet student's needs. We have many different types of people at Harvard, all of whom have individual personalities and a coach must try to suit his style to them."

"I also think a coach must be able to talk to Harvard students about something more than athletics. I'm always open to talk to the kids about Gen Ed or anything else that will help me to develop a better relationship."

Motivation

Harvey rejects the notion that his is a permissive philosophy.

"I think Harvard students want a demanding athletic program and a lot of good teaching. They don't want to goof off and they are willing to do hard work and can win consistently if they are properly motivated."

This year's freshman team only has a 4-4 record and Harvey admits that he had to work on the most basic fundamentals with his ballplayers. "The kids began to come around in the Dartmouth game which we only lost by 3 points. They started to box out well under the boards and also ran their plays perfectly. We're going into a difficult part of the season now, but I think we are improving rapidly."

As the freshman baseball coach last season, Harvey had a much better record. The squad was 13-1 and played almost flawless ball most of the season.

Unlike many basketball coaches who argue almost every call with the officials during games and bellow loudly at their players, Harvey feels that there is little point, in screaming during games.