Basketball has always been a big part of Dave Dankos life ever since he picked up a ball at five years old. For the past 18 years, he has lended his talent to the Fairfield High School and Fairfield Warde programs, but this summer, he will coach a brand new group of players at the Easton Community Center basketball camps.
During his camps at the ECC this summer, he will be focusing on the core skills of the game. The kids really need to work on the fundamentals. There will be a lot of dribbling. Whether youre four feet of six feet, youre going to learn to dribble, he said. Danko said the camps can accommodate any skill level from beginners to the more advanced. Along with skill drills, there will be what he calls, controlled scrimmages so that the staff can pause the game and give tips for improvement.
Basketball has been in my life, all my life, said Danko, who is also runs the Connecticut Girls Premeir AAU team, which was fifth in the country last year and had five players signed to division one college teams.
While he always knew he wanted to stay involved with the sport, he never thought hed be coaching girls basketball. In college, Danko got a call from his former high school basketball coach, Mike Abraham, who wanted him to take over the freshman coaching position at Fairfield Warde.
I was so excitedI thought I was going to be coaching the boys team. He was shocked to discover otherwise. I said, theres no way Im coaching girls when Ive been playing all my life with boys. But Abraham convinced him to stay. He said, just coach basketball and now I give him all the credit.
He has been named Coach of the Year five times and is just five wins away from his 300th career win. His team has also won a sportsmanship award on three occasions. Dankos staff will be several of his former players that are excited to help out with the campers.
Contact the Easton Community Center at (203) 459-9700 for more information or to sign up for one of the basketball camps.
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