March 07, 2013
Focusing on the importance of the family unit, coaching legend
Gene Keady, special assistant and advisor to the St. John’s
men’s basketball team, was a featured speaker at March Dadness, an
event held at Chelsea Piers that used the game of basketball to
bring together parents and their children.
The March 3rd affair, hosted by New York City’s Human Resources
Administration (HRA) and its NYC Dads program, was part of the
mayor’s Fatherhood
Initiative, which was created to connect fathers with their
children in an effort to strengthen family bonds and community
ties.
“Programs like NYC Dads and events like March Dadness are very
important,” Keady said. “Fathers need to invest in their children’s
future in order for them to have successful lives. It is important
that they teach their kids the values of love and family.”
A proud father of three, Keady noted that studying math and
science is just as important as practicing your jump shot. “It’s
great if you can play basketball really well,” he said to the
audience of more than 80 elementary school-aged children and their
families. “But you won’t get far without working hard in school and
getting an education.”
Keady was accompanied by student managers from the men’s
basketball team, including senior manager Ryan Borges who helped
run the skills development segment of the event. “Today, we
incorporated basketball with an important city mission,” said
Borges. “It’s always great to give back to the community and it’s
even better to get kids and their dads together. It’s a great
feeling.”
Alan S. Farrell, the citywide fatherhood services coordinator,
praised both St. John’s and Keady for their participation in the
event. “For fathers and their children to see that Coach Keady and
St. John’s are here and they care about the cause, they see that
our entire city cares,” he said. “Moments like these are what NYC
Dads and March Dadness is all about.”
