The YMCA Colonial Basketball League is located in Freehold, NJ and is a recreational program that has been around for over 20 years. The league has 3rd-4th grade league teams and 5th-8th grade league teams that play from October to March. While they charge players a fee to participate in their leagues, the organization often doesn’t receive that payment due to the low-income community they serve. However, the Colonial Basketball League never turns a kid away.
In their submission, the YMCA mentioned that they use their basketball programs to not only give the youth a safe environment to play in but also a place for their youth to learn the core values of being a leader and successful individual, including respect, responsibilities, honesty, and caring.
“The recognition of being the Jr. NBA Program of the Week may be small to some, but it makes a huge difference to us. Allowing our kids to experience being recognized by an organization that is well-known is priceless. It is not about the money, it’s about showing these kids that there are people out there who do care about them and understand our story and willing to help us in any way they can.”
The YMCA plans to use their Under Armour grant to purchase new Under Armour basketballs so that participants at each level of their program feel special. They would additionally like to use some of the gift card money to offset the cost of basketball sneakers for as many players as they can.
