MVP Basketball Camp

THE HISTORY OF
MVP BASKETBALL CAMP

In 1994, Stanley Greene interrupted his retirement to found MVP Basketball Camp. An avid lover of the game of basketball, Stan’s vision was to create the first not-for-profit basketball camp in Westchester County, in hopes of extending opportunities to youngsters less fortunate. MVP was immediately recognized as a not-for-profit organization by both the Internal Revenue Department and New York State. Since its inception, MVP Basketball Camp has enabled over 11,000 boys and girls to improve their basketball skills in a fun-filled environment that celebrates diversity. In 2005, Stan Greene retired again, but the camp continues to shine under the leadership of Executive Director Noel Muyskens and long-time Camp Director John Nemsick. In addition, Stan’s wife, Gingie, continues to serve on the Board of Directors and their son Andy leads the Finance and Development efforts of the organization.

MVP Philosophy
MVP was founded with a broad mission, growing out of a belief that in our increasingly fragmented society, it is more and more difficult for children from different socioeconomic backgrounds to meet and get to know one another in a relaxed and informal way. MVP is committed to creating a camp experience where children of all races, ethnicities and economic backgrounds can mix, mingle and have fun together through the game of basketball “MVP” typically stands for Most Valuable Player, but at our camp, MVP signifies Most Valued Person because we believe there is so much more to basketball, and for that matter to life, than being the “high scorer.” At MVP, we use basketball to teach goal setting, fair play, leadership, perseverance, working with others from different backgrounds, and making the most of each camper’s individual talents.

By all accounts, MVP Basketball Camp has been extremely successful in instilling these qualities. Testimonials from parents and campers abound, and over the years numerous articles in papers like the New York Times, The Journal News, and the Scarsdale Inquirer have extolled the unique virtues of MVP. Thanks largely to our outstanding coaches, MVP Basketball Camp has made a difference in the lives of many children. Over 80% of our coaches return each year because they endorse our philosophy and gain satisfaction from the results they have seen it attain.

Our emphasis on character development unquestionably sets MVP apart from the crowd. But what really makes our camp special is the Community Outreach Program. Since it was founded, MVP has used donations and internally generated funds to allow kids to attend camp who would otherwise not be able to afford it. We find it extremely gratifying that no deserving youngster has ever been turned away from MVP because of an inability to afford the tuition. In addition to taking scholarship applications for the program from individual families, MVP has a growing number of partnerships with social service agencies in Westchester County that has enabled children from organizations such as Pleasantville Cottage School, Boys and Girls Club of Mt. Vernon, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Andrus Children’s Center, Green Chimneys Children’s Services and Westhab Family Center to attend camp.



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THE HISTORY OF MVP BASKETBALL CAMP In 1994, Stanley Greene interrupted his retirement to found MVP Basketball Camp. An avid lover of the game of basketball, Stan’s vision was to create the first not-for-profit basketball camp in Westchester County, in hopes of extending opportunities to youngsters less fortunate. MVP was immediately recognized as a not-for-profit organization by both the Internal Revenue Department and New York State. Since its inception, MVP Basketball Camp has enabled over 11,000 boys and girls to improve their basketball skills in a fun-filled environment that celebrates diversity. In 2005, Stan Greene retired again, but the camp continues to shine under the leadership of Executive Director Noel Muyskens and long-time Camp Director John Nemsick. In addition, Stan’s wife, Gingie, continues to serve on the Board of Directors and their son Andy leads the Finance and Development efforts of the organization. MVP Philosophy MVP was founded with a broad mission, growing out of a belief that in our increasingly fragmented society, it is more and more difficult for children from different socioeconomic backgrounds to meet and get to know one another in a relaxed and informal way. MVP is committed to creating a camp experience where children of all races, ethnicities and economic backgrounds can mix, mingle and have fun together through the game of basketball “MVP” typically stands for Most Valuable Player, but at our camp, MVP signifies Most Valued Person because we believe there is so much more to basketball, and for that matter to life, than being the “high scorer.” At MVP, we use basketball to teach goal setting, fair play, leadership, perseverance, working with others from different backgrounds, and making the most of each camper’s individual talents. By all accounts, MVP Basketball Camp has been extremely successful in instilling these qualities. Testimonials from parents and campers abound, and over the years numerous articles in papers like the New York Times, The Journal News, and the Scarsdale Inquirer have extolled the unique virtues of MVP. Thanks largely to our outstanding coaches, MVP Basketball Camp has made a difference in the lives of many children. Over 80% of our coaches return each year because they endorse our philosophy and gain satisfaction from the results they have seen it attain. Our emphasis on character development unquestionably sets MVP apart from the crowd. But what really makes our camp special is the Community Outreach Program. Since it was founded, MVP has used donations and internally generated funds to allow kids to attend camp who would otherwise not be able to afford it. We find it extremely gratifying that no deserving youngster has ever been turned away from MVP because of an inability to afford the tuition. In addition to taking scholarship applications for the program from individual families, MVP has a growing number of partnerships with social service agencies in Westchester County that has enabled children from organizations such as Pleasantville Cottage School, Boys and Girls Club of Mt. Vernon, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Andrus Children’s Center, Green Chimneys Children’s Services and Westhab Family Center to attend camp.	At MVP, we also believe that the economically disadvantaged are not the only ones who benefit from a week at our camp and we have been proactive in responding to needs in the community. In the wake of the World Trade Center tragedy, we launched in conjunction with the New York City Fire Commissioner the Firefighter’s Fund, an ongoing program that allows relatives of firefighters lost on 9/11 to attend camp on full scholarship. In 2005, MVP started a new initiative called Hoops for Troops, which provides relatives of soldiers the opportunity to attend MVP free of charge. MVP Basketball Camp is dedicated to continuing a tradition of excellence. We appreciate the many families that send children to our camp year after year, and we are extremely grateful for our superlative coaching staff and hard-working maintenance crew. Together we will write the next chapter in the history of this unique organization.