Basketball League Promotes Safety Through Sportsmanship

The 2015 High School Division of the West Haven Sports Clubs celebrate their victory at the United Center where the annual Tournament was held. Photo by Aaron Boyd
The 2015 High School Division of the West Haven Sports Clubs celebrate their victory at the United Center where the annual Tournament was held. Photo by Aaron Boyd

Basketball League Promotes Safety Through Sportsmanship

By Monique Smith

Many of us were glued to our televisions during the National Basketball Association’s Finals where LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers came out as victors. The harsh reality for many young black boys who dream of being the next Derrick Rose, LeBron James, or Stephen Curry is that they will never be drafted into NBA. Many of these young men find other things to replace their broken dreams and it often lies within the criminal element in the streets. Founded in 2007, the Near West Side Community Development Corporation formed the West Haven Sports Club a year later in 2008 which uses sports to mentor young men and women throughout the year.

The West Haven Safe Summer Basketball League is an outgrowth of the West Haven Sports Club.

The league was formed as a part of the NWSCDC’s implementation of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s New Communities Program which is a United States non-profit community development financial institution that supports local community development corporations in urban and rural areas all over the United States.

LISC which gives grants and loans for community development programs and projects was founded in 1979 by the Ford Foundation as a way to keep under-served communities safe and thriving. The West Haven Safe Summer Basketball League has taken youth off the streets and created a basketball league that has grown to more than 350 players which now includes a women’s league.

This summer, there were 34 basketball teams from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs that faced-off against one another playing a collective of 52 games over a five-week period. The culmination were the finals. The league recently held their annual Championship Tournament at the United Center, home to the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks.

The league was recently certified by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) has three divisions; elementary, high school and adult. The NCAA certification is important because it allows players at the college level to participate in local tournaments like the Safe Haven Summer League.

Near Westside Community Development Corporation’s Executive Director Earnest Gates says the basketball league was formed in response to violence in the community. “Our philosophy is if they’re in the seat, they’re not in the street”, said Gates. The organization is celebrating eight years, ‘violence free’.

“In eight years we have not had one incident or act of violence at any of our games. We have a migration of players from all over the city. They cross over and come from different neighborhoods and gang territories to play ball without conflict,” Gates said.

The Summer Basketball League has created a space for young people that fosters safe and healthy alternatives to what they are facing every day in the streets. Violence in most cities, particularly in Chicago, is at its peak during the summer months and this league is a tool used to reduce crime in the community. The organization offers other year-long programs that include dance, music, baseball, boxing, archery and math & science training for referee certification. They also have a Youth Entrepreneur Program that teaches business management. All programs include peer discussions and individual-based mentoring.

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