'Hoops For Life' Teaches Lessons Through Sport To South Jersey Youth

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — Youth being held in the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center took part in a basketball game with a greater meaning.

On Sept. 25, the nonprofit "Hoops For Life" visited the facility to use the power of sport to connect with kids facing hardships behind the jail's walls.

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The group, founded by former Harlem Wizards player, Jamel Thompson, played against youth from the detention center as part of a day of mentorship.

"Sports build confidence, teach young people how to work as part of a team, gives them the opportunity to set goals, and work towards something together," Commissioner Jonathan Young told Patch. "It builds stamina and resiliency inside of individual players and brings all of the valuable life lessons to one place."

Through events like this, county officials try to instill a confidence and awareness within the youth that shows a level of care and dignity in building themselves back up.

"Hoops For Life" strives to encourage positive choices and touch on a variety of topics during a post-game session with the kids.

These included the importance of education, the impacts of bullying, drugs, dealing with peer pressure, and self-discipline.

"It is incredibly rewarding to see them become more engaged with programming at the JDC," Young added. "Realistically, the biggest sense of pride that I get is when we have kids move on, sometimes back to school, sometimes back to workforce development programs like the one at Hopeworks."

This nonprofit organization has a location at 808 Market St. (1st floor) and uses technology, healing, and entrepreneurship to help young adults "recode" their futures.

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