Grassroots and College Basketball Coaches Join Forces to Evoke and Enforce Positive Changes in Youth Basketball Across the U.S.
2007-03-19
Chicago, IL — A number of well-known grassroots and college basketball coaches and sports executives gathered in Chicago today to announce the formation of a new, highly anticipated organization: Grassroots Basketball of America (GBOA). Gary Charles, director of the New York Panthers, and a national governing board made up of 15 members, founded GBOA to celebrate, sustain and generate broad support for the positive role grassroots basketball and its academic and athletic programs play in the United States. In addition to announcing GBOA and it’s responsibility to steward youth basketball across the nation, the coaches also announced the launch of the organization’s Web site, www.GBOAHOOPS.com.
GBOA brings together some of the biggest names in coaching on both grassroots and college levels to evoke change in youth basketball, making academics for students and training for coaches two critical priorities. College coaches involved in these initiatives include Jerry Wainwright (DePaul University), Bill Self (University of Kansas), Paul Hewitt (Georgia Tech), Dave Leitao (University of Virginia) and Jay Wright (Villanova). “At Georgia Tech I’ve had the good fortune of coaching exceptionally talented players who have gone on to achieve a great deal of success in basketball and in life. I can speak for every GBOA member when I say that we want to see players at all levels armed with the right tools and the right support so that they can go as far as their talent and ambition will take them,” said Coach Paul Hewitt, who led his Georgia Tech team to the NCAA championship in 2004.
During today’s announcement, Mitch Malone, a member of the GBOA national governing board and founder of North Dallas One-on-One Basketball Leagues, discussed GBOA’s immediate and long-term plan to implement coaches’ certification clinics that every GBOA coach must attend and pass each year. Dr. James Dye, the Director of Academic Programs for GBOA and a licensed Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Specialist, and Kinesiologist, discussed GBOA’s stringent academic program – aptly entitled the GBOA 4.0 program – that includes tutoring, study sessions, time management training, SAT preparation courses and incentives for maintaining certain grade point averages that will make students eligible for the Honors Club and the GBOA Academic All American Team Award.
GBOA members spoke about the fact that the need for change in youth basketball has reached critical mass. “Grassroots basketball has huge implications for everyone involved in the sport — from the young kids playing on their first teams to those who have made it to the NBA to the coaches at every level. We created GBOA because we believe in the kids and by implementing academic and coaching programs, we are holding ourselves, the coaches and the students accountable for our collective success, not just today but for years to come,” said GBOA President, Gary Charles. “GBOA is here to make these positive changes and we are addressing head-on, many of the biggest challenges in youth basketball.”
Members of the media, students, parents, coaches and fans of grassroots basketball can visit www.GBOAHOOPS.com, the organization’s new, community-focused site to view tournament video highlights updated daily and player profiles. The experiential site offers fan message boards, league updates, video blogs, and detailed information about the GBOA 4.0 program emphasizing education, fundamentals, sportsmanship, and teamwork. GBOA rules and regulations, the coaches’ certification program and board member bios can also be found on the site.
Grassroots Basketball of America National Governing Board Members
Gary Charles (New York) – President
James Hart (New York) – Vice President
Dinos Trigonis (California) – Secretary
Karl McCray (Georgia) – Treasurer
Mitch Malone (Texas) – Director of Public Relations
James Dye (Indiana) – Director of Academic Programs
Bill Ingram (Arkansas) – Director of Coaching Development
Jimmy Salmon (New Jersey) – Director of Rules and Policies
Larry Butler (Illinois)
Michael Conley (Indiana)
Curtis Malone (Maryland)
Corey “Hulio” Smith (Georgia)
Boo Williams (Virginia)
Glenn Sugiyama (Executive Vice President, DHR International – Chicago, Illinois)
Jay Bilas (Attorney and College Basketball Analyst – Charlotte, North Carolina)
Grassroots Basketball of America National Advisory Board Members
Jerry Wainwright (DePaul University)
Gary DeCesare (DePaul University)
Bill Self (University of Kansas)
Paul Hewitt (Georgia Tech)
Dave Leitao (University of Virginia)
Jay Wright (Villanova)
For more information about Grassroots Basketball of America, contact Leslie Bardo at (312) 404-1480 or leslie@lesliewrites.net or visit www.GBOAHOOPS.COM.
