We realize that players and parents have a choice as to where to play club or AAU Basketball. The choice is an important one even for the youngest players. There are many fine organizations and some not so fine!.

I would like to state our case because I have such a passion and love for what we do.

• Lightning been in existence for 30 years. We have sent over 750 players on to play college basketball. Over 90% of our players have progressed to play on their Varsity team at their respective high school. Over 95% played for their Middle School team. As our motto says, “We Value the Outcome”.
• Lightning signed an agreement two weeks ago to be the first and for now only club in the entire country affiliated with the Steph Curry Brand of gear. Our players will have access to Curry Brand sneakers, uniforms and gear as the direct result of being affiliated with Lightning. Steph Curry agreed to join his brand with our organization because of his ongoing friendship with his former college coach, our own Jim Fox.
• We place a tremendous emphasis on training of both players and coaches. Our top trainer, Jim Fox Jr., has 18 years’ experience at the College Division l Level and four years before that at the St. Dominic High School where he went 45-1 as the Freshmen Coach and as the Assistant Varsity Coach on their NY State Championship team. Jim was recently selected by Steph Curry to be one of the lead coaches at Curry’s elite basketball camp which had the top 26 high school players in the country in attendance. Jim worked alongside not only Steph Curry but also the legendary Bob McKillop of Davidson College. Our other trainers include  Kevin Carpenter of Mecca Basketball who is also our Nassau North Shore and Suffolk Director, Joe Nesci who is the legendary coach of NYU and Bill Harkins formerly of St. Mary’s High School. Every Lightning player will receive training as part of their of their registration with Lightning Basketball at no additional cost.
• Our coaches are carefully screened and monitored. I addition, they are required to attend training sessions conducted by Jim Fox and Bill Harkins. Professional development is a very important part of Lightning’s vision.
• We operate and use several top level facilities in Nassau and Suffolk. We directly operate Island Garden and the Northsport Facility in Northport. We also enjoy a close working relationship with LIU Post in Brookville, the Chabad in Port Washington  and the MAC Center in Mitchell Field where we host practices and games. We either  own the leases  or have a strong working agreement with these sites and, as a result, are not at the whim of someone else. Space is one of our greatest assets. We also have a close long-term working relationships with St. Dominic High School, St. Ignatius in Hicksville, Next Level in Huntington Station and Trinity Lutheran in Hicksville and the Garden City Recreation Center. Each day we work on expanding our space and have been successful in coming closer to agreements with new facilities in the area. Keep an eye out for new announcements in the near future.
• Our vision for over 30 years has been to provide accessibility to every athlete, boy or girl, to play and improve their skills because they love basketball. We try never to turn anyone away in order to simply have a strong team. Our teams consistently develop into strong teams as the result of outstanding coaching and training.
• Our leadership has remained the same for three decades. We have added to our original group in recent years with top administrators and basketball trainers. We have brought together a tremendous team who are committed to constant improvement and innovation. We are persistent in our efforts to provide the best possible organization for each and every player who wears the Lightning uniform.
• In conclusion, our record of success speaks for itself. We are committed to never accepting the status quo and  always trying to get better. We never stop trying to improve.

We will be accepting new players into Lightning for the Super League Fall and Winter seasons. If you are interested, contact tom@islandgarden.com. Tryouts will be held this coming week.

Jim Fox

—— ONE MORE THING- We are close to making a major announcement that will significantly impact Island Garden, Lightning and every person who is part of what we do. As everyone who knows me well, I have difficulty keeping secrets. Anyway, just waiting on the lawyers to complete the agreement and our signing the bottom line. I can say that this partnership will impact every athlete and family who walk through the doors of Island Garden and especially those who are part of Lightning.