Basketballers Bring The Heat In Fair Haven

After 10 rounds of hoops shoot-offs against the Lady Heat, New Haven Heat basketball players Amir Durant and Romel Holmes-Gordon took to the sidelines to reflect on the ​“big family” that their team has become.

Both New Haven high schoolers have played with the team since before the pandemic, and have felt just how unique this young-athlete support system is.

They work together to aim, shoot, and score…

… and sprint together if they miss.

“We are like a big family,” said Durant. ​“We all support each other, which is how we set ourselves apart from other teams,” added Holmes-Gordon.

In order to realize their mission of using basketball to keep neighborhood kids safe, the New Haven Heat male and female teams have hosted clinics over the summer. 

Held at the courts of Fair Haven School at 164 Grand Ave., they welcome players from all over the city, providing a safe haven for them in the evenings on Mondays through Thursdays. 

This Monday evening, they received over two-dozen high schoolers from around the city, eager to practice and play.

“This team is one of a kind,” said Program Director and New Haven Heat Coach Rick Kennedy. ​“They learn quality basketball for free. They take away valuable skills and a family that backs them up”

The team was founded by Frank Redente in 1995. At 19 years old, Redente won permission to start an after-school program at Fair Haven School, where he worked as a security guard, to keep kids occupied and off the streets. He formed a team of 15 players and taught them basketball, just as his father had to him, and garnered enough support from the families and the community to grow the program. His teams have traveled all around the country for tournaments, winning numerous titles.

In 2014, Redente took a step back from the program, leaving it in the hands of Kennedy, his son Doc Kennedy, and Lawrence Mcgill Jr., now program director and basketball operations directors, respectively. Since assuming their roles, they have sent over 70 players to play for junior colleges and four-year colleges and universities. Many of them have come back to coach and give back to their communities.

The program is now large enough that they have even inspired similar programs in neighboring towns and cities. He said Hartford, Waterbury, and Bridgeport have all modeled their basketball programs after the Heat.

“It’s an honor to coach these kids,” said Redente. ​“I feel blessed to have friends like mine who have cared so much for the program that they’ve taken over for me,” he said, referring to Kennedy and the other coaches.

Accompanied by volunteer coaches, most of whom are Heat alumni, the players do drills and form a community. On Monday, the male and female teams competed against each other to see which team could score the most points while shooting from different angles around the court. The losing team had to sprint a lap while being watched and cheered on by the winning team.

In this shoot-off round, the boys…

… scored more than the girls …

… so the girls had to sprint. The boys clapped as they ran back and forth on the court.

Currently, the team’s main struggles are finding space to host practices, and getting the kids there. As the teams have grown, they require more space to accommodate the practices, and many of the kids don’t have anyone to drop them off. Because of this, the coaches and program organizers have stepped up, becoming mentors, siblings, caretakers, and friends.

“As long as we have the kids with us, it keeps them out of trouble and safe,” said Kennedy. ​“It makes it all worth it.”

With support from the community, the New Haven Heat not only teaches basketball, but also teaches community, support, family, and loyalty.

“This is what we need in every gym in the city,” said Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller. ​“This program saves kids’ lives.”

With half an hour left of practice, Durant and Holmes-Gordon ran back to the court to take advantage of the time they have left playing alongside their chosen family.