Dr. Steve Sobel, seen here as coach of the Springfield Slamm, provides instruction to his players. (Submitted photo)
LONGMEADOW – When it comes to basketball, Dr. Steve Sobel has been hip to the game for quite some time now.
Hailing from New York City, Sobel played his schoolboy roundball on Long Island, and it was that same round ball which brought him north to the University of Hartford, where he played four years for the NCAA Division One Hawks.
And while it has been over 40 years his last game as a collegian, basketball has never been able to escape Sobel’s life. Not that he ever wants it to leave.
“I just love basketball,” Sobel said during an exclusive interview with the Westfield News. “I believe it has the ability to save lives.”
Sobel, who has a doctorate in Education and a long history of working in school systems throughout western Massachusetts, settled in Longmeadow in the late ‘70s, and has worked around the country as a motivational speaker for the past 28 years, while also lecturing at Chicopee’s Elms College and American International College in Springfield.
Sobel has continued to serve the game in a variety of ways, from working with players individually to coaching the Springfield Slamm of the Greater Hartford Pro-Am League, where he has coached several players who have gone on to professional careers in the National Basketball Association, including Gary Forbes and Jeremy Lamb, who played for the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Minutemen and the University of Connecticut Huskies prior to the NBA.
And now, the Doctor who has been called a “Difference Maker” by former players and fellow coaches alike is looking to host a clinic of his own for area youths.
Set for Saturday, Nov. 23, Hoop Heaven will be held at The Arbors Kids indoor basketball facility in East Longmeadow and, for a $30 fee, players from fifth to ninth grade will get the instruction that has made Dr. Sobel a regional name in coaching circles.
“My life has been about shaping lives on and off the court,” he said. “I want to help players see where they are and also see where they could be.”
The clinic is scheduled to run from 9-11 a.m., and the instruction will encompass the fundamentals of the game, such as shooting, ball handling, passing, and conditioning drills, along with off-court “mental strength” exercises.
The clinic staff will include Dr. Sobel, Aaron Patterson, a Sobel assistant with the Slamm who also coached Woodstock Academy to a state basketball championship, and Stan Glowiak, a legend in Connecticut high school hoops.
“I’m looking to make Hoop Heaven the premiere clinic in New England.” Sobel said.
He will also be looking to impress upon the players in November his rules for basketball, and life, excellence, such as free throw shooting.
“You have to want to be a great free throw shooter – it wins and loses games,” he says, while also adding that “basketball is played from the ‘neck up’, as is life” and to “be a class act on and off the court.”
“Graciousness on and off the court, be grateful for all you have,” Sobel says. “Saying thank you to those that help you and listening more than you talk is a sign of true growth and maturity.”
The good doctor also looks for his players to be in the best physical shape as possible and to not focus on statistics.
“Do things that do not appear in the box score, and you will find yourself a valuable player for most teams,” he said. “Other players may have more talent then you, but do not let them outwork.”
Sobel’s success with amateur players is unmatched in the region, as his work with recent graduates such as former Williams College star Willy Workman of Northampton and current AIC star Al-Shabazz Jabateh can attest.
But his passion lies in working with young players and helping them reach their potential, which he thinks the clinic will accomplish.
Hoop Heaven will be open to any and all comers, but will be operating on a first-come, first-serve basis with a capacity of about 25 players.
“I have a motto,” the coach said. “If your dreams are big enough, the odds don’t matter.”
And if anyone knows about the power of big dreams, hoop dreams especially, it’s Dr. Steve Sobel.
For more information, Coach Sobel can be reached via telephone at (413) 530-5173 or via email at [email protected].
