Magic Head Coach Jacque Vaughn was so committed to teaching
at the clinic that he once sprawled down on his back and shuffled
a ball back and forth between his scissoring legs. He wanted to
show the children a drill that they could do inside their houses to
better their ball-handling abilities. And he repeatedly stressed to
the children the need for daily practice and wanting to improve.
“That’s always so much fun to do and I think you see our players
out there enjoying themselves, too,” said Vaughn, who had 6-foot9 power forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis playfully work with the
children on their defensive stance and slide steps at the beginning
of the camp. “Our players saw how hard it is to coach, too. They
are trying to teach a kid how to shoot a layup and throw the correct bounce pass, but it’s a good way to start the morning off.”
Vaughn knows all-to-well the impact that meeting a professional
athlete can have on a child. A Los Angeles native, Vaughn once
rode the bus to Inglewood, Calif., and waited outside of The Forum for hours to get an autograph from Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
That meeting, Vaughn said, played a major role in him wanting to
someday be a professional basketball player.
“Those guys will remember that for a long time, being able to go
buy a poster or pin-up (of a certain player) and then realize that
you have met that guy,” Vaughn said of the kids’ opportunities to
interact with the Magic players. “I’ll never forget people that I’ve
met along the way.”