AMHERST — Dennis Jackson likes to coach basketball. Who he teaches doesn’t matter: It could be Michael Jordan when he was in high school or a seven-year-old just picking up a basketball for the first time.

For the past 25 years, Jackson has run youth basketball camps in Amherst, and generations of basketball players have benefited.

“The most important thing is putting the right things in their heads,” Jackson said. “When they leave me, they are able to play against anyone and function. They can go to any coach and function. They will be coachable.”

In Pittsburgh, when he was working for Five-Star Basketball Camps, he worked with Jordan for two weeks.

“He still calls me coach to this day,” Jackson said. “I ran a shooting station at that camp. He could get 30 points in 20 minutes against the best players in high school. I thought he was going to be good. Maybe not as good as he became.”

Jackson has also seen the likes of Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning in his coaching and officiating ventures at Five-Star.

At Friday’s Footlocker Camp for beginners at Amherst Middle School, the first 30 minutes focused on off-hand dribbling. The ages of the camp ranged from 7-16.

Jackson’s coaching style is vocal and high-volume, but kind, without a hint of negativity. The mood of the camp was positive, with sprinkles of applause from the children for a camper showing maximum effort.

“One thing we believe in is you never do anything to make someone uncomfortable,” Jackson said. “Kids get along here.”

One former camper who stood out to Jackson was Willy Workman, who is from Northampton and currently plays professional basketball in Israel.

“I had Willy since he was eight years old,” Jackson said.

In an email, Workman shared memories of his time at Jackson’s camps.

“Coach Jackson taught me a reverse lay up and that it wasn’t a ‘hot dog’ shot,” Workman said. “But it’s never just been about basketball with coach, and the kids love him for it.”

The campers’ progress is noticeable, even after just a week at Jackson’s camp. Sam Mescon, a 2016 graduate of Northampton High School and former camper, was helping Jackson run the camp on Friday.

“There are some kids that come here with no skills,” Mescon said. “When they leave, they know everything.”

Not lost in the learning of the fundamentals of basketball is what most children want from summertime activity: fun.

“There are three things you are going to get here,” Jackson said. “You are going to have fun, be active and learn. Not one kid leaves unhappy because I’ll be unhappy.”

Henry Foster, 12, of Northampton is a veteran of Jackson’s camps.

“He teaches you the basics of basketball. No fancy stuff,” Foster said. “When I first came I couldn’t really handle the ball. Now I can.”

Tajahn Joyner just graduated from Amherst Regional in the spring and spent a lot time at Jackson’s camps.

“I went every summer,” Joyner said. “He built our game from level to level. I couldn’t thank him enough for teaching me the game the way he taught me.”

Jackson had a hand with helping Joyner with off-the-court problems as well.

“He made me sit out a game because I had not listened to my Mom the night before,” Joyner said. “At the time it felt like one of the worst moments between us. But looking back, it was a great learning moment.”

Jackson will run a Blue Chip Basketball Camp next week for advanced players aged 8-18.

“This community program and the people here have given me the opportunity,” Jackson said. “To work with youngsters and parents, that’s what it’s all about.”

Amherst’s program for Leisure Services & Supplemental Education runs the camps. Chris Johnson is the Director of Sports and Recreation at LSSE.

“He (Jackson) does a great job,” Johnson said. “The kids love being with Dennis. They are all ears when he is talking and that is important with kids.”

Linda Chalfant, who recently retired as LSSE director, picked Jackson to run the camps when they started.

Jackson, a Newark, New Jersey native, came to Amherst in 1984 for an assistant coaching job with UMass.

Before that, he was an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania, where he went to the 1979 Final Four against Magic Johnson’s Michigan State.

He also is the founder and Executive Director of P.L.A.Y. (Planned Learning Achievement for Youth) Academy.

In addition to UMass, Jackson has coached at Monmouth College and Central Connecticut State.

Jackson was inducted in the Five-Star Basketball Camp Hall of Fame’s first class in August 2000. He was also enshrined in the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

He currently works at Springfield High School as an adjustment counselor for kids with social and emotional needs.

The job gives him summers off to run his camps and do what he loves, teaching basketball. He is two years away from retirement from the school.

“I am going to continue to do the camps,” Jackson said. “There’s nothing like it in the summertime. I could go back to college in some capacity. Maybe coaching again on a small scale.”

The work during the school year might stop, but every summer area kids will be able to better their skills with Jackson.

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