One hundred twenty youngsters participated in the tournament and competed in one of two divisions — a junior league for those ages 13 to 15 and a senior league for ages 16 to 18. The event was such a success that Thomas hopes to hold similar tournaments every weekend starting next summer.
“I felt very proud and honored to be a part of this event,” said referee, Ronaldo Cambridge. “It’s about the children and letting them have fun under some structure. It’s not about winning. It’s about how you compete and how you play the game.”
Many of the parents in the crowd were pleased to see their children engaging in teamwork while getting plenty of fresh air and exercise.
“It’s clean basketball. There are referees that are calling the game and they get to know some of the other kids from the neighborhood,” said Diana Pinkard, whose son David, 15, was playing in the junior division. “When they are playing by themselves there are no whistles and no fouls.”
“It’s really important to have events like this in the neighborhood that the kids can participate in,” said Bruce Kelly, whose two sons, Jamel, 18, and Marvin, 16, played in the senior division. “It’s a chance to win trophies and accomplish something. Some kids never win anything. It’s something that helps build character and self-esteem.”
In the junior division, the Warriors beat Uptown, 32-21, and in the senior division Monster triumphed over Southside, 33-50. But according to the players it wasn’t just about winning, it was about having fun.
“It feels good to win because we came out here and we worked hard and we earned it,” said Conrad Campbell, MVP of the Warriors. “I was confident because I don’t think there is any team better than my team.”
“I didn’t really have a strategy. I just went out there, had fun, and tried to stay cool,” said Antoine Joseph of the Warriors, who tried to beat the heat by sucking on ice cubes. “Ice is delicious.”
“It’s good that they brought basketball back to the park. It’s been awhile,” said Tyrone Smalls, MVP of Monster. “It gets all the kids off the corner.”
Artice Ashanti, coach for Monster, was very proud of his team.
“My players played great and it was our defense that won us the game,” he said. “We are going to do even better next time.”
The Liberty Park basketball tournament was completely sponsored by local businesses. American Recycling donated the most funds but others like Powerline Auto Collision, C-Town, Metropolitan Lumber, Liberty Ready Mix and Marino Ices also contributed.
“My family is a sports family,” said, Greg Hein, comptroller of American Recycling. “I have a daughter in college playing field hockey. My other daughter plays softball. I think this is the best thing in the world for kids. It keeps them focused.”
The Winners
Senior Division (ages 16-18)
Monster beat Southside, 50-33
Tyrone Smalls (MVP)
Handsome Kelly
Brendan Edwards
Karriam Abduliah
Jeffrey Elijar
Orlando Vincent
Malik Wade
Joe Tomoney
Kingsley Waite
Kalvin Thwaits
Junior Division (ages 13-15)
Warriors beat Uptown, 32-21
Conrad Campbell (MVP)
Dequan Faria (MVP)
Tamia Tippins
Otis Waite
Kahseem Spencer
Antoine Joseph
Jermaine Mcleod
David Pinkard
Sammy Williams
“Day Day”
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