It's been eight years since Slamma Jamma basketball camp has taken place in the East Haven High School gym, but this summer it will be back thanks to Al Carfora, who will be directing the camp. While Al may not have been running Slamma Jamma in East Haven, he has been no stranger to working with youth in the summers.

Together with Lou Pane, the town's recreation director, he put on East Haven Fundamentals Basketball Clinic for the past few years. Al has also been running Slamma Jamma in Branford since 2003.

"Jimmy Reynolds, the current boys' basketball coach, Art [Leary], and myself put our heads together to get Slamma Jamma back in East Haven," says Al, who lives in Branford.

Al played four years of basketball for East Haven High School, earning a full scholarship to Quinnipiac University where he also played four years. His career at both schools was more than successful as he earned Hall of Fame distinction for each.

At Quinnipiac, Al played under Leary, who was the assistant coach for Al's freshman and sophomore years. Leary was a founder of Slamma Jamma and when Al's oldest daughter was 10, Al got involved as well working at the different camps.

In 1998, Al took over as the girls' varsity basketball coach at East Haven. That same year, he also started running Slamma Jamma camps at East Haven in the summer. For the next four years, he coached at East Haven and ran Slamma Jamma, but he gave up coaching so he could experience his children's basketball careers.

"My daughters, Brittney and Angelena, were playing at Branford and I was missing their games and my son, AJ, was playing in Biddy Basketball so I was missing his stuff," says Al. "It was wearing on me. I loved coaching, but it was so hard to miss watching my kids. My wife would videotape games, but it just wasn't the same."

Though he gave up coaching high school, Al continued working clinics in East Haven and in Branford. He also worked as a firefighter with the town of East Haven before he was injured in 1997, ending that career.

Al went back to Southern and he has since earned his master's and has worked as an elementary school teacher in East Haven for six of the past 11 years. In both careers, Al has found he has been able to apply skills he has learned in basketball.

"Through basketball, I've learned about hard work, being faced with adversity, and being able to pick yourself up when you lose, go back, and work harder," says Al. "[Being involved in sports] also teaches perseverance, and learning to work as a group. With coaching, I've learned how to treat players in order to get the most out of them and it's the same with students."

Al credits his success to Frank Crisafi, his high school coach, and his parents.

"I probably learned as much from him [Crisafi] on and off the field as I did from my father," says Al. "I'm grateful for everything my parents and my coach have taught me."

For now, though, Al is concentrating on his upcoming sessions with Slamma Jamma. He not only looks forward to working with the campers, but also the coaches, who are former area players who have continued their careers in college.

"I've sent my own kids to this camp and others," says Al. "We focus on the basics and even when the advanced players do scrimmages, we're on the court during the games, giving instruction. It's a reinforcement of how they should be playing the game. As long as they're having fun, on whatever level, that's what we do. I've been affiliated with them [Slamma Jamma] for all this time because I believe in what they do. If I didn't, I'd run my own camps my own way."

Slamma Jamma will be held at East Haven High School from Aug. 9 to 13 and at the Community House in Branford from Aug. 16 to 20 for ages to 5 to 14. Sessions run from 9 a.m. to noon or 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Campers will receive a T-shirt and basketball. For info, call Al 203-627-8399 or visit www.slamma-jamma.com.