OUR STAFF
Dana Dingle
Co-Director
Coach Dana Dingle began his elite basketball career at St. Raymond's high school in the Bronx. There he continued to develop his game and was 1st team all city in 1992 and received a full scholarship to attend Umass Amherst. Under coach John Calipari, current coach at Kentucky; Dana and the UMass minuteman won four Atlantic 10 championships, one NCAA sweet sixteen, one elite eight and one final four from 1992-1996. After college he move on to play professionally overseas from 1996-1999.
Dana began his coaching career with Long Island lightning in 1999 with one team where he worked to develop elite players from all over the metropolitan area. Throughout the years his teams have won numerous AAU national championships or finished as one of the top ten teams in the country.Started high school teams in 2004, Since 2006 New york lightning teams have produced at least 40 players receiving Division 1 scholarships. Another 10+ players have received division 2 or junior college scholarships.
Shandue McNeill
Co-Director
Shandue McNeill, a native New Yorker, grew up in Rockaway, Queens. He attended Archbishop Molloy High School where he learned the game from legendary coach, Jack Curran. After Molloy, he went on to attend St. Bonaventure University. At St. Bonaventure he was the linchpin in the rebirth of the basketball program.
A prototype point guard, McNeill's game belied his 5 foot 7 inch height. He earned Atlantic 10 All-Rookie honors in 1993-94. The following season, he helped lead the Bonnies to their first postseason appearance in 12 years, a NIT berth. McNeill was selected second team All-Conference that year. The only player in school history to lead the Bonnies in assists four straight years. He was named to the A-10's All Defensive team once and the Academic All-Conference team three times. Following college, he played professionally in Europe and Latin America. He currently works as a trader on Wall Street while directing one of NIKE's top grassroot basketball programs, NY LIGHTNING, in the country.