Free basketball league in Kensington offers alternative to violence

Tyreek Counts had an idea to use basketball as a way to combat violence in Kensington and throughout the city So last year he pulled together a group to hold a tournament hosted by the New Kensington Public Maturation Corporation Me and my crew sat down and we did our Guns Down Now Basketball Peace Tournament on September of and we had a huge turnout stated Counts the outreach coordinator for NKCDC We had over people that demonstrated up Fast forward to this January and the launch of the Cure Violence basketball league a safe place for adult men to come together to socialize get in specific exercise and learn social and teamwork skills There were no registration or participation fees The undertaking a partnership between Esperanza Soundness and NKCDC s Cure Violence venture fills a area gap for men between and years old Counts announced There s a lot of things for the youth there s a lot of things for the senior citizens but for that age group they re deemed as problematic and that they can t come together and work without violence he commented So we required to show them that they were wrong Counts commented the initiative aims to be a bright spot for Kensington A lot of people see the drug epidemic and the homelessness and things of that nature and they think that s all Kensington has to offer he explained But there s a lot of great things going around amongst the chaos that s going around Bright spots Kensington has seen specific promising change over the past year Figures issued earlier this year demonstrated a reduction in shootings in the society between and and a reduction in violent crimes such as rape and homicide When Mayor Cherelle Parker entered office in she without delay launched an effort to address the opioid use epidemic in the Kensington area and revive the population The city shut down an encampment in the Kensington neighborhood in May and provided tools and restoration for those experiencing homelessness or struggling with drug addiction While particular say they were disappointed with the execution of these tactics there have been specific signs of progress The league is just one piece of Cure Violence Kensington a area violence intervention scheme that treats gun violence as a inhabitants healthcare issue Cure Violence is an extension of the New Kensington Neighborhood Enhancement Corporation which has served the communities of Kensington Fishtown and Port Richmond since A achieving first season The league s first season started January and ran until the end of March Counts reported there was a strong turnout for players and teams We had eight teams with about nine guys total to each company from Kensington and throughout the city he explained And they came Mondays and Wednesdays from to p m with two games per day And they practiced and all those things The basketball league played and practiced twice a week from January through March Photo courtesy of Dante Singleton and Tyree Batties One of the preponderance fundamental parts of the league Counts noted was allowing residents to work together positively and collaboratively We practice the social skills part so we can talk to one another and let them know everything doesn t have to end in violence he commented We can fix things with communication so that s one thing that we requested to express We requested to express teamwork also with coming together to accomplish something as a unit There was a lot of positivity during the season s games noted participant Tyreese Whitaker I had a fabulous time just time to get away running up and down the court with lots of laughter and lots of smiles he disclosed Whitaker has lived in Kensington for years He commented he sees this league as a unique opportunity to escape the worries of the day A lot of people came there and no one knows how people s days go but I can tell you we all had a good time when we got there he reported A broader picture The league offers a lifeline for people who are in need of recreational low- or no-cost initiatives stated NKCDC vice president Amy Perez There are not leagues like this for adult men that you don t have to pay for she mentioned And the participants that we recruit are people who have not a lot of extra money to pay for their own league or something They re paying bills and supporting their families Counts explained the league also encourages teammates to talk through issues rather than resorting to violence He heard from public and league members that the impact of the initiative was notable This is the first time they reported that they have seen a group of teams coexist and be able to break bread and eat together at the end of the league he announced And talk even if they didn t win The league uses Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association referees Perez commented one referee was surprised by the sportsmanship of the teams at the championship championship One of the refs commented to me I ve never been after a championship contest where I can sit down and the two teams that just played each other are all eating together and I m not being escorted to my car she announced So it was not just us that noticed but the ref was really noticing the difference between the dynamics with this league versus other leagues that he refs for Whitaker declared there were selected intense games but part of the league s success was in handling these moments well Tempers flared a minimal times but everyone remained civil and I think that was the biggest part of the whole thing he revealed Shooting free throws during a league battle Photo courtesy of Dante Singleton and Tyree Batties When they come here and whatever is going outside and they play basketball it s kind of like a kid on the playground and nothing matters right now he commented And we needed to give them back that thought and that memory of when they were teens and they didn t have these problems that adults have with bills and handling things and kids and things of that nature The future of the league The league is presently funded through grants and Esperanza Soundness which also provided gym space So we partnered with Esperanza for space and we used their space and they shared various of the costs but greater part of it was paid for by a grant that we have from the Department of Justice she commented The money covered the winter season and an upcoming summer session Perez announced She hopes the effort can be extended Moving forward we hope that funding will continue but definitely we ll be looking for anyone who wants to fund this she commented We were able to fund for the past season and for the summer for sure but after that the milieu right now for funding is uncertain Dates are in the present being set for the summer season Counts sees the initiative as instilling a lot of positive values A lot of us got longtime friends through sports he commented A lot of us met people from different walks of life and different backgrounds through sports In sports they build discipline they build character they build teamwork they build sportsmanship through winning and losing I want that mission to continue to grow The post Free basketball league in Kensington offers alternative to violence appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY