By: Richard L. Smith
Growing up in Newark's West Ward, many things brought the community together and allowed children in our neighborhood to remain positively occupied.
As such, walking several blocks from 12th Street to the -old- Newark Boy's and Girl's Club on Littleton Avenue was priceless for a pickup basketball game, engaging in social activities, joining a club, or just hanging out and learning from others, blocks away, was priceless.
If you stayed around the club long enough, you'd bet a small dinner meal would come your way since food was scarce in some of our homes. Then we'd head home to prepare the night for the next day's school.
If “the Club' wasn't open, we always had behind the parking lot of West Side High School where makeshift milk crates used for basketball rims pinned to the gate of the Fairmount Cemetery to challenged each other in games, also took up our time.
We had Mr. Paul Mc Pleasant, a community legend, basketball coach, and community dad for some of us who opened St. Rocco's gymnasium for hours of play. We must not forget about walking a few blocks from our homes off South Orange Avenue to West Side Park, where the gym was a real gem for gathering and staying out of trouble.
While there always was a potential for violence, it was to a minimal because these entities kept us busy and occupied.
Since Newark Public School sessions concluded for the summer, there was an annual youth basketball tournament hosted in Newark by the excellent officials at United Community Corporation (UCC), which serves as a powerful reminder of the positive impact that sports can have in promoting social change and unity in the community.
Yes, sports, whether in a parking lot or inside a gym, connected all of us was the real gem.
For this organized event, over 30 youngsters ages 14-17 from the Greater Newark area participated in UCC's 2nd Annual "3 on 3 Anti-Violence Basketball Tournament," held June 24 at West Side Park Community Center in Newark.
UCC officials told RLS Media the program allowed youths to compete on the court in fun, back-and-forth action. They shot contests while raising awareness of the importance of anti-violence in the community.
"We host this tournament because not only do we want to use basketball to bring in people from different parts of the city," said Charles Mainor, a UCC Program Coordinator.
UCC's Community-Based Violence Intervention (CBVI) program, launched in March 2022, is designed to provide services to youth between the ages of 16-26 in a community where crime is prevalent at an increased rate compared to neighboring municipalities.
CBVI's goal is to assist individuals convicted of violence, victims of violence, and those considered at risk of being involved with violence.
CBVI conducts workshops on different forms of violence, such as gang or school violence, and hosts other events that are coordinated to boost self-confidence, educate participants, and build bonds while interacting with professionals that youth can emulate.
For UCC officials, the three-on-three basketball tournament was another tool for using recreational activities to drive home the message about preventing violence in the community.
"There's still crime here in Newark, so we figured that this tournament is one small way of trying to reach many people," said Mainor. "This is the first event of many that we're going to do to keep pushing the message about anti-violence."
Alongside showcasing their athletic skills on the court in hopes of winning various prizes that were up for grabs, including video game consoles and Amazon gift cards, the youth discussed what the event's overall message of anti-violence meant to them.
"I came here to play but also to talk to people about teamwork, communication, and picking your head up," said Kwamir Jeter, a 17-year-old student at West Side High School.
"People [in the community] keep getting killed, and young people start joining gangs and see that other people here are doing it because they think it's cool. It's not."
UCC officials said the tournament's timing is just as important as its message. Historically, violent crime rates in Newark spike during warmer weather months when more people tend to go outdoors.
With young people and families being no exception as they go outside to enjoy summer leisure activities, spreading the word about anti-violence in the community is critical at this time of year.
"Heading into the summer now, we want people to feel safe to come outside," said Craig Mainor, UCC Executive Director. "We want them to feel safe, come to the parks, and socialize."
The CBVI 3 on 3 Anti-Violence Basketball Tournament was made possible by Amerigroup, Saint James Health, Essex County, and Newark Centers of Hope. For more information about UCC, visit uccnewark.org.