Who We Are

 

Howard Garfinkel (Co-founder)

Howard Garfinkel is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame, Recipient of the 2006 Anaconda Lifetime Achievement Award, and a member of the NY Pro-Am Hall of Fame. The New York City Basketball Hall of Fame was created by Garfinkel, where he remains Vice-President. He is also a member of the McDonald's All American Selection Committee and the Naismith College Player of Year selection committee.

Will Klein (Co-founder/Co-owner)

Coach Klein spent nearly forty years in the New York City School system, including seven years as principal of Evander Childs High School and twenty years as Assistant Principal for Christopher Columbus High School. He was the varsity head coach for Columbus for seven years, leading Columbus to prominence as they competed against the great Dewitt Clinton teams with Tiny Archibald and Morris High School with Neville Shedd. Coach Klein is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame, recipient of the 2006 Anaconda Lifetime Achievement Award, a member of the NY Pro-Am Hall of Fame. and the Basketball Old Timers of America Hall of Fame .He serves on the selection committee of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame and is the Co-founder and Co-Director of the famed Five-star Basketball Camp now in its 47th year. The Evander Childs Campus High School Gymnasium is being renamed the Will Klein Gym in his honor.

Leigh Alan Klein (Co-owner/C.E.O.)

For just under a decade, Leigh Klein has been responsible for the development of the world’s leading basketball instructional brand, Five-Star Basketball Camp. He has served as C.E.O. of the Five-Star Basketball Camp Inc. for the past eighteen years.
Coach Klein has directed Five-Star’s Instructional Video/DVD SeriesI and has edited five books.
He co-founded the Five-Star Foundation where he remains the Vice-President. The Five-Star Foundation has provided life skills and basketball instruction through the Five-Star Development Program to more than 2500 participants. The Five-Star Foundation has provided the opportunity to attend summer camp to financially disadvantaged students from twenty-eight states in excess of $100,000 in grant assistance.
He started Five-Star International in 1994 and has taken the same Five-Star program and techniques abroad having run events across the globe working with more than 4,000 players and coaches. Coach Klein has consulted for numerous basketball facilities and organizations, e.g., IMG Academies and the Turkish Basketball Federation. Coach Klein is on the selection committee of the Washington DC Basketball Hall of Fame. Coach Klein is on the advisory board for the Latino Coaching Association and GBOA (Grass Roots Basketball Organization of America).  He is also a member of the United State Basketball Writers Association and contributes to a variety of media outlets regarding college basketball and the NBA draft.  Leigh is married and has two sons.

Shay Berry (Executive Vice President)

Coach Berry returns to Five-Star for his third year in his second stint.  He is currently the head coach of Hunter College in NYC.  In 2009, he returned to Five-Star after a five year absence, where he was an assistant coach at Dartmouth College. Berry coached at Fordham University for five years and one Year at Yale University after graduating from Central Connecticut State University. Berry was part of the 1994 New York University team that lost in the Division III National Championship. During his five years at NYU, the Violets were 111-26. Berry is a long-time member of the NABC and was a panel member of the NCAA Division 1 Assistant Coaches Committee.. Clark Francis' Hoop Scoop ranked Coach Berry in the Top 30 Mid to Low Major level assistants. He has led many Five-Star initiatives including pioneering Five-Star's efforts in China and Turkey.

Tony Bergeron (Program Director/Recruiting Coordinator)

Coach Bergeron begins his seventh year as Five-Star's Program Director. He has been involved full-time with Five-Star for the past ten years. Currently, he is the head varsity coach at East Long Meadow H.S. He led East Long Meadow to the Mass. State Final Four in 2010. Formerly Coach Bergeron was head coach at American Christian School in Aston, PA. were he lead the program to national acclaim and aided in the development of nine Division I players and 2009 NBA Lottery Selection and Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans. Prior to that, Tony was head varsity coach of Wings Academy in the Bronx, NY. He led Wings to the 2006 PSAL Semi-Finals and a USA Today's national ranking of #17. Prior to his four years at Wings Academy, Coach Bergeron was head coach at the MacDuffie School in Springfield, MA for three years. MacDuffie won the 2001 New England Prep Class E title under Coach Bergeron's leadership. Tony has produced a number of Top Selling Instructional DVD including his popular Dribble Drive Offense.  Tony is married and has a son and two daughters.