In the past decade, coach Kyle Solomon has established himself as the unrivaled source for elite level basketball training. The head coach and founder/president of Shooting4Greatness Academy, Solomon’s system emphasizes player development, strength, power, agility, shot speed and beyond. The veteran coach orchestrates rigorous, innovative training sessions ranging from intensified plyos to pool workouts to one-on-one moves.
A legendary schoolboy talent at Gorton High School at Yonkers, N.Y. Solomon was known for his electrifying play underscored by deft ball handling and shot creation. His game can best be depicted as ahead of his time, as he was pulling off NBA 3-pointers and moves with the ball that few had ever seen before. Still today, Solomon is widely regarded as one of the most prolific scorers in Westchester County history, embedded in the same regal hoops history books as Ben Gordon, Elton Brand, Sean Kilpatrick, and former Mount Vernon stars Rodney and Scooter McCray.
By learning the proper tools for the trade of post-graduate basketball Solomon has made a science out of it, recruiting fringe and unheralded prospects who need to just tweak a component of their game here and there to be ready-made for the next level.
“Growing up in Yonkers, I watched guys like Bernard Toone who went to Marquette and later played for the 76ers,” explained Solomon. “There was Jim Bostic, a legendary player who would go on to play for the Detroit Pistons. You had Charlie Criss who spent time with the Atlanta Hawks, Morris Crute, Adonis Jordan…You have to add Mike Kelly, who has gone on to become a successful businessman. There’s Zach Thompson, a motivational speaker and activist.”
At the time of Solomon’s emergence at Gorton, however, Yonkers had become infested with rampant crime and drugs. The street life was being glorified and Gorton home games were one of the rare occasions when the community was engaged and together.
“My teammates Mike Kelly and Zach Thompson, we created the ‘big three’ at Gorton High School, we had a very good team but at that time the city was sorely lacking positive role models. We had nobody who could sit and tell us about the outcome of real life in the streets and what it leads to. That’s one of the reasons I started Shooting4Greatness Academy, was to steer kids away from the draw streets and that lifestyle and keep them focused on pursuing their goals and dreams while earning an education.”
Solomon played under an iconic Yonkers coach in John Volpe, who was the first ever to reach 500 wins in the city and retired with over 600 career wins.
Still, he and his teammates lacked the important figures and the connections to help them get recruited and gain national exposure.
“Myself, Mike Kelly and Zach (Thompson), we didn’t know a thing about the recruiting process. We had nobody to really help us guide us through it all.”
During his time at the helm at S4G, Solomon has helped propel myriad student-athletes to college, accumulating in the neighborhood of $2 million in athletic scholarship money throughout the process.
One of the program’s most notable products is Dequon Miller, a pitbull-tough 5-foot-10 guard who starred at Motlow Community College (20.7 PPG) and later Missouri State.
He cemented his legacy at MSU as a high-scoring senior. Miller dropped 23 points (6-of-13 FG, 4-6 3FG) during a 79-70 win over Drake.
He would follow this performance up with 22 points on an 8-for-16 clip during an 80-65 loss to Southern Illinois. As the scoring engine which propelled MSU to an 84-81 overtime victory against Illinois State, Miller drained 6-of-10 three-pointers and finished with 22 points.
Averaging 19.8 PPG during that four-game span in late January of 2016, Miller cemented his status as MVC Newcomer of the Year and MSU Coors Player of the Year.
The program has also churned out the likes of Mike Medlin, a constant double double threat who starred at The Hill College in Texas.
Another noble notable who rose under Solomon’s development was former Mount Vernon star Jabarie Hinds.
The left handed, blur quick point guard who played at West Virginia and later UMass and overseas professionally, worked with Solomon since he was 10.
Hinds’ scoring surge (countless 30+ point games) and ability to impact the game on both ends helped lead Mount Vernon to consecutive Section 1 championships.
Solomon’s son, Jordan Solomon, set the program record for 3-pointers in a game (13). Known for his lethal touch and unlimited 3-point range, Jordan Solomon is currently plying his trade professionally overseas.
Solomon’s training and Shooting4Greatness Academy ingrains valuable life lessons in young people, with extra emphasis on steering them clear of distractions and the dangerous allure of the streets.
