Rip Makes It Count

With two-a-day practices a common occurrence, John Kuester’s first training camp hasn’t left a lot of down time, not even for established veterans like Rip Hamilton.

So nobody - not even the Pistons public relations or community relations staff - walked into work Wednesday morning expecting Hamilton to jet out of the practice facility after the first session, drive 30 minutes to Detroit Central High School to speak with students, and be back in Auburn Hills for the second practice.

But sometimes, as Hamilton tried to point out to Central’s 900 students, exceeding expectations is the way to go.

As important as the second day of training camp was to the Pistons, Wednesday may have meant even more to the students in Detroit Public Schools. Count Day comes only twice a year, and the number of bodies in the building determines the school’s state funding for the entire year. The cash-strapped school district enticed students to show up with a raffle for hi-tech prizes such as iPods and a 42-inch flat-screen television.

At Central, Hamilton added an extra perk the students will have to work all year toward: anyone with perfect attendance and an impressive essay submission would be his guest at a Jay-Z concert and get to the meet the rap mogul at the show.

The students weren’t the only ones excited about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It’s been fun. We’re trying to give something positive back to the kids. It’s been exciting to see (their response).” Hamilton said. “We’re going to strive for something good, even with something simple as an essay contest to (see) Jay-Z.”

Hamilton, it turns out, has been involved with Central since 2004, when he “adopted” the school’s Trail Blazers varsity basketball team. “I try to mix it up, keep it fresh,” he said. “We try to do different things, basketball games, have different speakers over the years, but we want to keep it fresh and keep them motivated.”

Concerts aside, there’s nothing more motivational than Hamilton’s own story. He’s told it to kids of all ages, including students at Burns Elementary in Detroit last year.

“I had to make a decision,” Hamilton told them. He had to choose between hanging out with a good friend doing bad things, or “go to school, listen to my parents, listen to my teachers and do stuff the right way.”

Hamilton chose the latter, earning his basketball scholarship to the University of Connecticut and paving his path to the NBA. That friend, Hamilton closes with emphasis, is now serving a 15-year prison sentence.

Rip’s story carries more weight than his contest or prizes, said Central principal Steven McGhee.

“Our kids equate success with money, but success always relies on being educated,” McGhee said. “For him to come back and express that and let them see that is important.”

McGhee has seen the positive impact pro athletes can make on his students. He was the principal at Detroit Osborn High School two years ago when former Pistons forward Amir Johnson participated in a similar Count Day event, distributing new laptop computers. On Wednesday, Hamilton was preceded by Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl MVP Desmond Howard.

“When you see someone who’s an NBA star or an NFL star, when those stars stand right in front of them and talk about the importance of education, it begins to hit home,” McGhee said. “It won’t hit home with everyone, but for the majority it will.”

At least McGhee can be sure the message reached its audience. He estimated 925 students at Wednesday’s assembly, 200 more than on the first day of school three weeks ago.

It’s up to them to make the next day count.