Neighbourhood Hoops Program Announces New Community Partnerships
HAMILTON - September 21, 2016 - Hamilton’s Neighbourhood Hoops program announced the newest members of the Hoops family today at their annual year-end celebration, the Hoops Street Ball Finale, at the Beasley Park, Beasley Community Centre. Canada Basketball’s Steve Nash Youth Basketball program and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities joined the Hoops collaborative and officially endorsed the program as an effective model for supporting the growth of basketball for youth.
This partnership will see the Steve Nash Youth Basketball collaborative provide each program participant with a new:
- Basketball jersey
- Basketball
- Drawstring bag
- Poster and Certificate
- Water bottle
- Basketball drill resource book
Basketball coaches will also receive full National Coaching Certification training and coaching resources and curriculum to advance their coaching abilities. Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities will provide the funding to bring this expansion to the Hoops program.
Now in its second year, the Neighbourhood Hoops program was developed in partnership between the City of Hamilton, the Beasley Neighbourhood Association, Boys & Girls Clubs of Hamilton, the Eva Rothwell Resource Centre, McMaster Athletes Care, Wesley Urban Ministries, and the YMCA of Hamilton Burlington and Brantford to provide youth between the ages of 9-14 with the opportunity to participate in skills-based basketball development programming in their neighbourhood.
Quick Facts
- During the 2016 summer season the Neighbourhood Hoops program had approximately 112 youth participate in the program.
- The Neighbourhood Hoops program had approximately 100 children aged 9-14 participate in the program in its first year of operation.
- To date there have been 300 children who participated in the program city-wide.
Additional Resources
“The growth in the second year of the program is a testament to the collaborative effort of the organizations involved,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger. “The youth participants are more active and they are taking away skills that can be used in all aspects of their lives.”
“Something very special happens when we ask the kids of our communities what they want with respect to recreational programming,” said Councillor Jason Farr. “Neighbourhood Hoops is a great example of this. An overnight smashing success with a growing number of tremendous community partners making kids stronger by each passing day.”
“As a passionate advocate for active living and youth recreation we are proud to have Canada Basketball’s Steve Nash Youth Basketball program available for our kids. We know having support and role models are essential to early childhood development and more importantly, demonstrate to our youth that we live in a community that cares about them,” said Councillor Matthew Green.
“Canada Basketball is excited to embark in this new relationship with Neighbourhood Hoops program in Hamilton to engage and develop young basketball athletes through Steve Nash Youth Basketball. It is our hope that through Steve Nash Youth Basketball, participants will have the opportunity to not only play and learn basketball, but to develop other life skills that will allow them to maximize their potential both on and off the court,” said Ron Yeung, Manager-Domestic Development, and Canada Basketball.
“Since 2005, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities has helped more than one million children across Canada get off the sidelines and into the game,” said Harry J. Bell, Regional Manager Hamilton-Niagara and SWO, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. “Since its inception, the Greater Hamilton Jumpstart Chapter has disbursed $1.2 million dollars to more than 17,000 kids. We are proud to expand our local support by providing funding for NCCP certifications, facilitating more opportunities for kids to learn and grow under the guidance of skilled coaches in Hamilton.”
“We are thrilled to be a part of the second annual Hoops Street Ball Finale. Through programs like Hoops, we can utilize the power of sport to inspire youth to believe in their dreams, provide them with access to positive mentors in our student-athletes and help them realize the opportunities that exist for them in their own community. Seeing the different agencies, volunteers and members of the community come together in such a significant way to support the development of youth in Hamilton also makes this a truly special event,” said Glen Grunwald, Director of Athletes, McMaster Athletes Care.
“Wesley Urban Ministries is proud to be part of the neighbourhood Hoops Team, supporting the provision of activities to assist Children and Youth to reach their full potential,” said Denise Scott, Director, Children, Youth, and Family Services, Wesley Urban Ministries.