“My goal is to do exactly what I did in the Harlem Globetrotters – put smiles on kids’ faces,” Corey Rich said before an assembly of kindergarteners through fifth-grade students at St. Joseph School on Monday in celebration of Catholic Schools Week.

Rich – or Corey the Dribbler as he’s otherwise known – said he does many character education assemblies each year in addition to dribbling demonstrations during NBA halftime show as well as basketball clinics and summer camps.

It was one of several events being held at St. Joseph School this week.

Rich addressed the crowd of around 100 students, as well as teachers and parents, about respect of self, others, and their school by way of interactive demonstrations of the skills he perfected while training to become one of the Harlem Globetrotters, for whom he played during the 2009-2010 season (about 15 games, according to his website).

“Respect will take you a long way,” Rich told the students before calling three of them up to try and steal the basketball from him. He encouraged students to show respect not just for other people but for what others have to say. That includes peers, adults, authority figures and the places students work and live.

Rich told the students that he made it onto the Harlem Globetrotters not just because he had talent on the basketball court, but because he worked hard. “Not just because I had basketball skills, but because I was a good person,” he said after relating how he spent two days learning all he could about the team in preparation for an interview before being signed.

Judi Danielson, HAED (Healthy Activities Every Day) teacher at St. Joseph School, said the students spent all of last week practicing dribbling skills in preparation for Rich’s visit and even watched some Globetrotter highlights. “The kids are very excited,” said parent volunteer and event coordinator Arlene Molinaro.