The summer basketball tournament is now underway at the University of Saint Joseph’s Jim Calhoun Gymnasium in West Hartford.

By Ronni Newton

Now known as the “Basketball Capital Pro-Am,” the tournament taking place throughout the summer at the Jim Calhoun Gymnasium (aka ‘The Jim”) at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford offers no-cost viewing of high-level professional and amateur basketball players in action in an air-conditioned environment, as well as the opportunity to learn how to administer hands-only CPR, a potentially life-saving skill.

Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun, the namesake of “The Jim,” helped with the recent launch of this year’s Pro-Am, which returns to USJ for the second year, and he was joined by Jeff Flaks, president & CEO of Hartford HealthCare, the tournament’s presenting sponsor, who debuted the new “player” they are bringing to the court – the American Heart Association’s “Mobile Hands-Only CPR Kiosk.”

Hartford HealthCare has the only kiosk of its type in New England, and it’s one of only eight kiosks nationwide.

“This year, as the ‘Basketball Capital Pro-Am, presented by Hartford HealthCare, it will get to showcase outstanding players and provide even more entrainment and excitement for enthusiastic spectators,” said Rhona Free, president of USJ, noting that last year, in its first year at USJ as the “Greater Hartford Pro-Am,” the event was a great success. Free said for Flaks, who is an ardent basketball fan, this partnership is about community.

“With his support, the Basketball Capital Pro-Am nights are going to be about great games, but also building community, promoting health screenings, and inspiring youth to set and achieve goals,” Free said.

Flaks said that when Hartford HealthCare was looking to revitalize the Pro-Am in 2023, Free stepped up with the offer to use the USJ facility. “Her first words were, ‘How can we make this happen?'” he said.

This year, in addition to providing entertainment in a safe, air-conditioned environment, along with free food and prizes, Flaks said he is excited to introduce the kiosk to educate people about hands-only CPR. “We’re going to train 1,000 people. We’re going to hopefully train more than a thousand people,” who will then be among those in the community with the ability to save lives.

Another component of the Basketball Capital Pro-Am is a series of skills clinics.

He noted that with the partnership of Eversource, and the support of Executive VP and General Counsel Greg Butler, who also attended the press conference at USJ, “We’re going to bring clinics to our community.” Flaks said the four skills clinics to be held at parks in the City of Hartford, will be supported by area college basketball coaches, will offer basketball training and other support to area youth.

“We couldn’t be the basketball capital of the world if it wasn’t for coach Jim Calhoun,” who not only built UConn’s program and was instrumental in the building of the program at USJ, but also started as a high school coach, Flaks said. “There’s nobody who gives back more to this community. Whenever he’s asked he says yes.”

 

Calhoun, who lost his dad at age 53 due to heart disease, and lost his mom, who had successful bypass surgery, at age 56, is a long-time supporter of cardiology-related causes. “I’ve seen the lack of having the kind of facilities that Hartford HealthCare was so kind to give us,” he said. This is a step in the right direction, he said, to support helping others.

“I’m so proud here at Saint Joe’s … to have a place for people to come at night,” Calhoun said. “The state needs health care. Our state also needs someplace for kids to go, somewhere between 6 and 10 at night, when it’s 95 degrees. How about a basketball game?” he said. The experience of coming together to watch a game is important and it’s also a safe place, providing the opportunity to be in “the right place at the right time,” and a place where coaches might perhaps discover talent previously unknown.

The Basketball Capital Pro-Am is a great initiative on so many levels, a tangible way to help others, said Calhoun. “We’re trying to find ways to get so much of the violence and the disruptions off the street … this is a start in the right direction,” he said, and the CPR training aspect adds another dimension.

Butler said he has always loved basketball, and the sport “teaches very important life lessons … it teaches you that bad behavior has consequences, it teaches you teamwork, it teaches you how to lose graciously, it teaches you how to win graciously.” The clinics, which are sponsored by Eversource, will expose kids to the sport, and teach them life lessons and make them better people.

Basketball Capital Pro-Am Commissioner Anthony Price said Calhoun taught the community, the residents of Connecticut, to believe. “Believing that we can do great things,” is part of what this event is about. It’s about believing in yourself, being better, and being selfless and giving back to others, he said.

 

Price expressed his thanks to the University of Saint Joseph for providing the use of their beautiful facility. He said the Pro-Am, which was founded by Pete Higgins in 1997, will be even bigger and better this year than it was last year – with 12 teams, up from 10 last year. It was rebranded, Price said, to prove to the rest of the world that Connecticut really is the basketball capital of the world.

“The Pro-Am is a phenomenal place for people to get together. There is no cost for the Pro-Am so when it’s 80 or 90 degrees out there you can come in here, and it’s nice and cool – but sometimes it’s not as cool because the action on the court really heats up,” Price added.

Price said the CPR partnership, the increase in the number of teams, and having people know the Pro-Am is back at USJ should make it even more successful. “It always takes time for people to get adjusted,” he said about the location. There’s no need to buy tickets and fans can come any time – and it’s great for families.

He said that many of those playing on the teams are local – including Tyler Betsey, two-time Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year – or play for area colleges. “We have some pro players who drop in,” he added.

Jared Flaks, who plays basketball at Babson College (and who is Jeff Flaks’ son), said he considers it a blessing to be able to participate in the sport, and this Pro-Am. “Basketball brings people together and this Basketball Capital Pro-Am is a great place for the community … ”

Ian Calabrese, who plays basketball for Clark University, said it’s his third year in the Pro-Am, and loved coming to it when he was a kid.

“This touches me in so many ways,” said West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor. She’s not only a basketball fan personally, but all four of her sons played at some level, including one who was a student manager for the Clark University team. Her youngest son, who was born with congenital heart disease, still managed to play basketball, for coaches who changed his life by encouraging him to play  the sport that is so dependent on teamwork.

“West Hartford is a HeartSafe Community, CPR is critical to that designation,” she said, also touting the addition of the Mobile Hands-Only CPR kiosk to the Basketball Capital Pro-Am. “Instantaneous intervention to get a heart going before permanent damage is done is critical and I’d like to really thank everyone for that.”

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam added how proud this area is of its basketball heritage. He urged the community to “come out, check out some great basketball happening here.” He also praised the plan to have clinics at four Hartford parks as part of the Basketball Capital Pro-Am.

“Even if we don’t create a new generation of superstars, learning that teamwork, learning to work with one another, learning to root for one another, it’s such an important skill,” Arulampalam said.

Several of the Pro-Am players demonstrated their 3-point shooting ability, and those who attended the news conference also had the opportunity to test out the kiosk.

In their announcement of the launch of the kiosk, Hartford HealthCare noted the importance of CPR training. “Studies have shown that population sizes greater than 100,000 and predominantly non-English-speaking communities were associated with lower rates of bystanders trained in CPR. By offering the Mobile Hands-Only CPR Kiosk at the Basketball Capital Pro-Am will increase awareness and access to this life-saving training tool in the community,” the announcement stated.

Pro-Am games, which are open to the public and free to attend, will take place throughout the summer at the Calhoun Gymnasium at the University of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford. Doubleheaders are held on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., and triple headers are on Sundays, with games beginning at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7 p.m.

The youth clinics are scheduled for four consecutive Saturdays, beginning at noon on July 13, and the complete schedule and link to registration can be found here.

 

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