2020 brought various programming challenges at Kids in the Game, and especially to KING Hoops, our competitive basketball team. During the height of the pandemic we needed to make sure we were still providing the same quality services for our student-athletes’ who were adjusting to attending school online and being stuck inside for months. 

We continued our typical services over the summer and into the fall through virtual check-ins with all 71 of our KING Hoops players on both academic progress, but also mental health and future planning. We were also able to host small group sessions in our office space for our players that were struggling academically and needed 1:1 tutoring. This allowed us to keep in touch with our student-athletes, offer the support needed, as well as prepare for a safe and successful spring season. 

This past Spring we were ecstatic to be able to bring our KING Hoops program back in person. We held tryouts the first week of March following the CDC’s guidelines and assembled our 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, and 17U teams. Collectively our program was composed of 82% returners, a big accomplishment after not being able to have a season the previous year. Practices started up in March and ran smoothly into late July thanks to a partnership with Leman Manhattan Preparatory School. 

We had a very successful AAU season achieving a program best 67-25 record! We also brought home a total of seven tournament championships. It was also a special year for our 14U team who joined the Under Armour Rise Circuit. With a winning record in all UAA tournaments they definitely proved they belonged on a national stage.

The Heisman Trophy Trust

One of the fundamental goals of Kids in the Game is to reduce inequities among NYC young people in access to: youth sports, classroom and out-of-school educational opportunities, college and/or other career training. Our Heisman project is an expression of our commitment to reducing inequities. Heisman returned in person this past Spring. We provide academic support, college preparation, and career readiness programming to all 71 of our KING Hoops players. Due to health and safety protocols, we were unable to utilize in person volunteers or outside tutoring services during our Spring session, but rather staffed the program with 3 full time team members. 

Program Highlights: 

• All 71 student-athletes maintained GPA and attendance standards for the spring seasons
• 100% of our senior student-athletes graduated high school and are heading to college or universities in the fall
• 96% of our student-athletes made gains in at least one core SEL capacity (Contribution, Positive Identity, Self-Management, Academic Self-Efficacy, Social Skills)
• 91% of our student-athletes that began the year with low capacity in positive identity made gains
• 96% of our student-athletes felt they could share their thoughts and opinions and they were valued by the adults and coaches
• 89% of our student-athletes felt a sense of team and or group identity
• 88% felt that they were able to envision their future

Youth Leadership Council

Here at Kids in the Game we value program feedback, especially from the youth participating and benefitting from our programs. This summer we launched our Youth Leadership Council which was created so that all our student-athletes and program participants can express their thoughts and ideas and have a voice in program decision-making. Our council will meet routinely and will provide a feedback loop for our program directors. They also will work on various projects and initiatives having to do with programming. 

We have partnered with Athletes for Hope who will provide and match both college and professional athletes for our council meetings. For our first meeting in July we were joined by Jazmine Fray, an Under Armour professional track athlete. Jazmine discussed the challenges that come along with being a college athlete, the importance of mental health, and discussed the importance of teamwork and being a part of a team. During this specific meeting we had our Youth Council work on compromise, teamwork, and communication skills in a jersey design workshop. Our council then started on a four-month project where they will be developing a business model. Each session we will have a guest speaker whether an athlete or entrepreneur to help them create their desired business. 

Overall, it was a successful Spring for our KING Hoops program. Our players loved being back together face-to-face, and it was great for them to receive the support from our Heisman program. Currently all of our KING Hoops teams are participating in the Positive Influence Summer League. We are excited for KING Hoops to enter their fall league, as well as for school and Heisman to begin again in the fall. 

KING is excited to announce that we have been awarded the 2018-2019 Heisman Trophy Trust grant through the New York Community Trust. While the name Heisman is typically synonymous with college football, the Heisman Trophy Trust is dedicated to supporting amateur athletes and their goals on and off the playing field. The trust states, “our goal through these charitable endeavors is for the Heisman Trophy to symbolize the fostering of a sense of community responsibility and service to our youth, especially those disadvantaged or with special needs.”

This fall will be the first season implementing academic and life skill programming into our competitive travel teams. Beyond our players receiving the highest quality sports coaching, we will be providing academic support, test prep courses, admissions guidance and life skill seminars that will prepare them for life outside of sport. The program will cater to each individual student-athlete and consider their personal career, sport and life goals.

KING is lucky to have a network of volunteers that include former Division I, II and III athletes and coaches that understand the dedication it takes to be a successful student athlete. As their own athletic careers came to an end, our volunteers and mentors have transitioned to successful careers in fields ranging from finance, advertising, entrepreneurship, education, etc. Paired with our volunteers, the grant will also allow us to hire a professional tutoring service that will provide the highest quality services to our kids.

KING as a whole organization continues to evolve and grow, our dedication to support each and every one of our kids to reach their goals is unwavering. Thanks to our new partnership with the Heisman Trophy and New York Community Trusts we will be able to continue and enhance our mission.

What: Jr. NBA Skills Challenge
Who: Boys and Girls, age 13 and under
Where: Leman Manhattan – 41 Broad St. 9th Floor
Cost: FREE
Sign-up: Email Paul@kidsinthegame.com or come to event 30 minutes prior to start

Do you have the moves like Steph Curry? Can you handle the ball like Maya Moore? Good. Come show us! KING Hoops is excited to host their Jr. NBA Skills Challenge Event February 17th at The Franciscan Community Center. The event will take place from 1:30pm to 3:00pm and is open to boys and girls 13 years and younger. Oh, and did I mention it was free? Yes, free! Boys and girls will compete is separate divisions (14U and 12U) and showcase their ball handling and shooting skills.

To see the official rules click here

From this local competition the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will advance to the regional competition with a chance to advance to the national competition in June.

Finalists for the national competition win an all-expense paid trip to New York City, receive gift bags, attend special events, interact with NBA/WNBA/D-League Players, Legends, & Draftees, and attend the 2017 NBA Draft.

Questions? Email KING Hoops Basketball Director at Paul@kidsinthegame.com

Paul O’Connor, our director of KING Hoops program, recently attended the Jr. Knicks Youth Basketball Leadership conference. The event had the likes of Allan Houston, Kym Winter, Tiffany Chag, Don Showalter among other leaders in the basketball world. Topics ranged from how to keep athletes safe and the benefits of raising multi-sport athletes. Coach Paul came away from the event with a breadth of knowledge but also knowing that there is still a ton of work to do in the youth basketball arena. Here are some thoughts and questions Coach Paul had on the event and where basketball is headed for kids growing up in New York City.

At the Jr. Knicks event there was one question raised that stuck with me… How can organizations like the Jr. Knicks and USA Basketball have a greater effect on youth basketball?

The question alone doesn’t seem complicated. But as we all know or grow to learn, nothing about youth sports in New York City is uncomplicated. Between a seemingly unlimited market and “coaches” on every corner, navigating the youth basketball scene can be tough. I see two main issues that arise and that the Jr. Knicks and USA Basketball can have a hand in improving.

Issue #1 — Players jumping from team to team throughout the year.

I have seen kids in the 6th grade play for 3+ AAU teams in one season. I don’t see this to be in the child’s benefit. First off, the player simply cannot commit to 3+ programs and make all practices/games/etc. This also leads to distrust amongst the other players on the team. The players who are committed to one team start to learn how to play together and don’t gel with the players who are in and out. As a coach and director, it makes it very hard to teach them your beliefs, techniques, and overall organization mission. The biggest problem in my opinion is the lack of ability to keep players accountable. If a coach disciplines a player and that player doesn’t like it they can simply go play for another team the next day. This is a dangerous lesson that will hurt our children in the long run.

Solution — Adopt the GEVA Volleyball rules for committing to a program, see here:

USA Volleyball prohibits player transfers from club to club, which is necessary to protect players, their teammates, and their clubs. In choosing a club, carefully consider your goals with potential clubs’ emphasis on elite teams versus developmental, teams offered, cost, practice quantity and quality, number of coaches and their qualifications, distance to tournaments, length of the season, playing time, and tournament schedule.

Tryouts are during the same time period for volleyball — Please remember that once you have made a binding commitment to a club, you are committed to them for the season. They have reserved a spot on a team (possibly turning away another athlete) and you have committed to meeting your obligations per the club’s offer letter. Failure to meet a contractually obligated financial commitment to a club will mean that you can’t register to play for any USAV club the following season(s).

Implementing this would completely solve the issue of playing for multiple teams and help organizations and the kids we serve tremendously. It would raise accountability of our kids, parents, coaches and administrators.

Issue #2 — Anyone is a qualified coach.

This topic was raised by Don Showalter at the event and he made a great point. The term “Coach” is sacred and means a great deal. With the rise in social media and organizations popping up in every gym, almost anyone can be called coach nowadays. There is no standardized process that people have to go through to become a coach, making the difference in the level of coaching from organization to organization easily visible if you attend AAU tournaments. Don compared it to other industries, mentioning that they all have processes, standards, protocol. Why would basketball be any different? To become anything of significance is strenuous and includes multiple steps, something that coaching should not lack. USA Basketball offers an online course to become certified but even that is not enough. This is where organizations like Jr. NBA, Jr. Knicks, USA Basketball need to come together and create standards and requirements that coaches and organizations would need to meet in order to become certified.

Improvements do not happen over night and I would certainly like to continue this discussion with NYC youth basketball organizations and coaches to see how we can try and improve our players experiences.

To check out Coach Paul and KING Hoops in action at our Tuesday Night Middle School Clinics. Workouts are held from 6-7:15pm at Corpus Christi School 533 W. 121st St. New York, NY 10027 and our $15 per session or $100 for the remaining 7 sessions. Register here!

It isn’t easy to summarize a year at Kids in the Game – there are so many small victories that go unseen with the children we work with. Measuring confidence, friendships, perseverance, and just plain fun are not always possible. However, we close out 2017 knowing that those are the wins that we are most proud of. Our organization’s purpose is to change the way New York City children are growing up and this year was a huge step towards reaching our goals. Reading through our 2015 and 2016 reviews, we continue to make tremendous progress and find ourselves more and more excited about what is yet to come. Here are some of the highlights from the year and what you can expect to see from KING in 2018:

1. We continue to expand and serve more schools and families across Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx – we worked with over 16,000 children this year across summer camps, school programming, and our travel teams. Our team has approached ~100 talented coaches, yet we still feel like a family in our approach.

2. We had our best summer yet! Our 4 summer camps served ~700 families from June to August as we continued to add new and creative programming for the kids. We had an emphasis on improving our swimming program, adding lessons and better facilities. There was also more interaction between our camps, as we had days that our older camps went to other sites to meet new friends and have some healthy competition. We had fun building out our theme weeks (ie Camp Olympics, Through the Decades, Spirit Week, Superhero Week, etc) and have some creative ideas for 2018 in the works. Our newest location was opened in Park Slope, and look forward to announcing our 5th location for 2018 here shortly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvGsjrPjuiI

3. Although we have a team full of active, energetic, sports lovers, we also consciously opened our mind in 2017 to how technology can enhance what we do. We grew our partnership with CodingKidz, providing after-school and summer camp programs in Robotics, Coding, and Video Game Design, as well as made November ‘Sports Technology’ month across all our schools. Our kids collectively walked to Australia in November (measured by our Fitbits), we had SportsTechie cover our Virtual Reality event at Corpus Christi School, and started meeting as a team to talk about other technology and innovation that will help engage more children and enhance our sports programs. It certainly won’t replace what we do at the core, but always looking for ways to improve!

4. Our travel teams continued to make us oh so proud. KING Hoops had 5 teams playing this fall between middle school and high school, with kids coming from many of our schools and communities we work in throughout the year. We won our first tournament this year in Connecticut, and almost all age groups made tournament runs more regularly. Winning isn’t everything, but we’re a competitive group! KING Spikes, our volleyball program, continued to grow and is primed for a big year in 2018. We launched KING Speed, our track and field program, led by Suzie Clinchy who joined our team this year. We are so proud of the programs we’ve run in schools (PS 188M, Blessed Sacrament, Rebecca School, Leman Manhattan) and of our kids that are starting to run in competitive meets around the city. We take a lot of pride in wearing KING on our jersey and the way our players represent us and continue to grow.

5. Furthering our mission to reach all children in NYC, our non-profit KING Kids has made tremendous progress in bridging the opportunity gap. In our first full year of operation, we were humbled by the amount of support and empathy people have for making sure all schools and families have access to positive coaches and opportunities to play sports. We built a junior board of talented young professionals that have helped us drive the movement and fundraise for scholarships and new programming. Our team hosted our first large fundraising event, a 3 on 3 tournament at St Francis, with over 20 teams. We ran our first corporate volunteer day with VML Foundation, donating sports equipment to 3 public schools across Harlem and the Bronx. We’ve added life skills workshops and academic support opportunities for all our travel teams. We built a website. Tons of good work, and the best part is that we are just getting started! So much to do in 2018 in our community and we appreciate everyone’s willingness to help our cause!

6. Not always apparent to our families or schools, but we have turned inward to make staff development and training a top priority as an organization. Both personal and professional development is a big part of working at KING, which ultimately helps us grow together and run better and better programs in the community. That will continue to be the case in 2018!

Our team continues to believe in the power of sports and positive coaching to help kids grow. Although not something we typically share with our following, our internal core values are what continues to drive our decision making and what we truly believe in while we work with youth. We wanted to share them with you below to give you some insight into what we are all about and our team’s daily focus as we continue strengthening our programs.

1. Radiate positivity and a family spirit
2. Lead by example through healthy habits
3. Embrace individual strengths and diverse backgrounds
4. Present solutions, not problems
5. Be resourceful and creative – do more with less
6. Constant pursuit of personal growth and learning
7. See the big picture
8. Be a world-class communicator
9. Work as a team, play as a team, grow as a team
10. Strive to always be the best part of our kids’ day

Thank you to everyone that has made 2017 such a year to remember. The support we get from principals, parents, coaches, partners, friends, and family is what keeps us energized and healthy. More to come from KING!

The day has finally arrived. Your lunch box is packed full. Your outfit is ready. Your sunscreen is prepped (thanks mom and dad!). Today is the day that you don’t mind that your alarm clock (do kids still use alarm clocks?) is ringing for the first time since school got out. You have excited butterflies in your stomach anticipating the new friends you will meet and the new experiences you will have. Today is the day. Today is the first day of Kids in the Game SUMMER CAMP!

By design, a day at a summer camp run by Kids in the Game looks a little bit different everyday of the week. The general structure, of course, has consistency and fluidity to ensure that our campers and counselors alike know the general routine of camp. However, we want our campers to wake up every morning with the same excitement they feel on day one of camp as they do on day 27 of camp. To insure this we have made it a priority to put detailed thought into activities, themes, projects, and field-trips.

Here is what a one day at KING Summer Camp looks like:

8:00-9:00 Early dropoff begins with main camp festivities beginning at 9am. The most prepared camper will come with a refillable water bottle, a lunch with extra snacks for throughout the day and a ready-to-go attitude!

9:00-9:15- Camp Rally! This an important time of the day to welcome all the kids and give them a run down of what the day will look like.

9:15-10:30- First sports/movement activity of the day. This section could be tennis, basketball, soccer, baseball… you name it we probably do it. We keep our instructional blocks to small groups so our campers will have fun but also learn the fundamentals of that day’s sport. Our staff includes sport specialists that have the highest knowledge in their particular sport.

10:30-10:45- Snack time! With our campers being active for most of the day, it is key to stay hydrated (water bottles are a MUST!) and fueled up on snacks. We will have a snack shop full of nutritious snacks if you want to send your camper with a couple extra bucks or pack some extras into their lunch box.

10:45-11:45- Each of our camps is located next to a beautiful outdoor park. We get special permits at each location to use these parks to their fullest extent. At this time during the day, we will be playing special, larger grouped activities. These activities will be geared towards the weekly theme.

11:45-12:30- For this time frame, we will split the groups into a couple different stations. This could be arts and crafts, a STEM project, or a specialized movement group. We have specialists working with each of these groups and again the activities will directly correlate to the weekly theme. Let’s think about through the decades theme for a second… the kids will travel back in time and learn different dance movements (sock hop, the twist, etc) and explore decade-old, classic craft activities (flower crowns, pet rocks, making play-dough etc). Our activities in these sections are design to cater to specific age groups, so every camper will get the most out their camp experience.

12:30-1:00 – Lunch! Time to sit back, relax and refuel. All our campsites have refrigerators to store lunches from home.

1:00-1:30 – Camps days are go-go-go so it is important to have a little downtime. Our youngest campers might use this time to nap, older kids to read a book or work with a counselor on some academic work.

1:30-2:30- If you were in the arts group in the morning then it is your time to do STEM or creative movement and vice versa. No need to fret, all campers will get to participate in all planned activities.

2:30-3:30- This will be our second stop for a large group activity. This activity will be different than the morning, but no less fun! We have 100+ games in our pockets, so we promise no kid will get bored playing the same thing over and over again.

3:30-4:00- End of day rally with a special treat to boot! Don’t fret that the day has come to an end. There is always tomorrow for more camp adventures. The best questions we get asked at the end of the day are the “what are we doing tomorrow….Can we do this tomorrow?” type of questions. And we can confidently answer… tomorrow will bring new adventures, new friends and new experiences.

4:30-6:00- For those needing a little extra time to come pick up your camper we do offer extended after care from 4:30-6. This is an additional $15 per day and can be added at an at-need basis.

A couple of extra notes: Like we said, we like to keep everyday a little bit different and this schedule will change here and there to accommodate special trips, activities and projects.

Wednesdays will always be our field trip days. Whether you are a Mets fan or a Yankees fan, don’t worry, we got you covered and go to a game of each. We will also be going to Luna park, museums, and a Liberty basketball game.

This year we are also offering swim lessons. Lessons are an additional $45 per week for a 40-minute lesson. Highly trained swim specific instructors teach our lessons.
Already know how to swim? No problem, we take the 1st grade and up campers to the pool for open swim once a week as well!

We truly believe that communication is key to our success. Camp families will receive weekly communication on how camp is going, what to expect and if there is any special items that your camper need to bring (i.e. White t-shirt for tye-dye, swim suit for lessons, wear your camp t-shirt for field trip etc…)

For more detailed information on our summer camps please visit https://www.kidsinthegame.com/summer-camps/ and let’s all get pumped for the BEST SUMMER EVER WITH KING!

What’s up KING fam?!? We here at KING wanted to give a huge thanks to our sponsors and our teams for coming out to support our programs and mission this past weekend. Our first ever 3 on 3 basketball tournament, KING of the Court, was a huge success. In total, we had 18 teams participate this year and plan to double that next year!

It takes a village to run a successful event and we feel very lucky to have the best village around. A big thanks to Indoor Hoops for signing on as our first major sponsor of our tournament. If you need leagues to play in throughout the city, they are should be your go to! As you all know, the key to a successful event is bomb food… shout out to Panera Bread for providing breakfast and lunch for all our players and volunteers. Thirdly, a big shoutout to Nature’s Bakery for providing 300+ fig bars to help our players charge back up in between games.

We’d also like to thank Yogaworks, Soul Cycle, Essentia Water and GNC for coming out and supporting our event. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Most importantly, we want to thank each and every single player that participated this year. Anytime you take the jump to start something new, it can be nerve-racking and all of you came through in a major way. This tournament represents our dedication to provide Kids growing up in New York City with opportunities to play basketball, go to summer camp and #growupking.

In ten years, when we are running the 2027 KING of the Court tournament, we will always remember this year and where it all began. We cannot wait to see all of you back year after year.

For more information on how you can be involved in KING Kids year around please contact Kingkids@kidsinthegame.com

As March comes to an end and brackets are thrown in the trash, it’s a good time for most teams to reflect on the past season. King Hoops teams began practicing in October, similar to most college teams and finished (much to our dismay) a little too early in March.

Our teams participated in the 55 Swish league at Basketball City this past year. Our kids were tested every week both mentally and physically. As a coaching staff, one of the our biggest challenges was getting our kids to play through adversity. At the start of the season, if we got down 8-10 points the attitude was very much, “that’s it, we’re losing, we’re going to lose…” and down went the effort level. We were constantly looking for new ways to keep our kids motivated and their heads in the game.

This is something I’ve seen a lot of especially with kids in middle school. Middle school competition levels begin to increase and this may be the first time some players aren’t the best ones on the court. This can be a challenging thing to deal with, especially mentally. Therefore, we like to instill confidence in our players in a variety of ways: verbally with positive language and encouragement or physically with high fives, hugs, and huddles. We value getting to know our players as individuals and recognizing what motivates them. If we can get a group of ten mentally strong players to click as one cohesive team we know a long March is in our future.

This past Saturday we finished our last tryout this past Saturday with a total of 84 kids in attendance! We have spent this week calling kids from all over the city to give them the good news that they are now KING Hoopers. It’s an exciting time for the King Hoops program and we look forward to a great Spring season with our teams.

If you have any questions about the KING Hoops programs please contact Paul O’Connor at paul@kidsinthegame.com

In the world of sports, improving is the name of the game. This goes for not only players but coaches as well. There is a reason why the best coaches are relevant year after year: they are constantly learning and adapting to the game. Kids in the Game is excited to partner with CHAMPS (Cooperative, Healthy, Active, Motivated and Positive Students) this March to provide free coaching clinics to middle school basketball coaches. The clinics will lead into an exciting 2017 Spring CHAMPS basketball season beginning in the end of March.

Coaches at participating CHAMPS programs are able to participate in the FREE clinics. The clinics will feature instructive lectures as well as on-the-court sessions. Participants will gain knowledge on many valuable topics, ranging from philosophy to X’s and O’s. Coaches will also gain experience on practice planning, game management and communication approaches. Additionally, strategies for working with kids with varying backgrounds and experiences will be an important component of the trainings as both CHAMPS and Kids in the Game work in diverse spaces.

Each participant of the coaching clinic will receive printed materials to reference during the clinic as well as to take home and implement during their own practices. Attendees should wear appropriate attire for active participation.

Registration is available on Eventbrite (registration is required). 3 dates are available and coaches are free to sign up for 1 date of their choice. Space is limited, so please sign up early!

1. Date: Saturday, March 11, 2017
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: M. S. 302 Luisa Dessus Cruz (8X302)
681 Kelly St. Bronx 10455
To register click here

2. Date: Saturday, March 18, 2017

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m
Location: Hunters Point Community Middle School (30Q291)
1-50 51st. Ave. Queens 11101
To register click here

3. Date: Saturday, March 25
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m
Location: Ebbets Field Middle School (17K352)

46 McKeever Pl. Brooklyn 11225
To register click here

If you have any questions please feel free to email us at info@kidsinthegame or contact the CHAMPS coordinator Alan Semel at ASemel@schools.nyc.gov