Newark Launches Co-Ed Youth Basketball Academy For Local Kids

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the City of Newark. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Mayor Ras Baraka recently announced that the City of Newark will launch the first coeducational Newark Youth Basketball & Development Academy for children grades third through eighth, starting Saturday, October 21, at the JFK Recreation Center. The center is located at 211 West Kinney Street in the city’s Central Ward, with the entrance on Howard Street. As a pilot program, the academy will be held every Saturday and continue until December 16.

Sessions will take place for grades three and four from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Grades five and six will have sessions from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and grades seven and eight will take the court from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“The joy of driving a basketball toward the net offers our kids a sense of freedom and agency that informs them about who they are and what they’re capable of,” said Mayor Baraka. “But this program offers more than that. It’s enriched with an intention to help them discover what they have in common with each other, and how their own unique interests can lead to fulfilling careers. I see this as a full court press to give our kids an advantage in life.”

Coed weekly basketball clinics will enable kids at all skill levels to have fun while improving on and off the court. As these Saturday programs evolve, the children will be introduced to diverse career paths using a basketball lens to expose them to authors, film producers and professionals in a wide range of fields.

“Developing strong bodies and athletic skills, and experiencing the collaborative dynamics of teamwork are important in themselves, but this program goes further to celebrate our similarities and interconnectivity,” said Department of Recreation, Cultural Affairs & Senior Services Director Donnell M. Redding. “Beyond basketball, character development and commaraderie, it incorporates components of Mayor Baraka’s Citywide 10-Point Literacy Plan, with opportunities to read basketball-related stories and talk with authors.”

“Our program is designed to allow children to find out what they have in common with one another, while appreciating their differences,” said SP Fundamentals founder Seth Schwartz. “Our unique program not only provides incredible basketball expertise, but allows kids to learn vital life lessons such as accountability and resiliency. Every child will someday need to make a living and we want to give them a taste of a wide range of options available so they can begin to a trajectory toward their dream, armed with the team skills they learn on the court.”

This program will be spearheaded by the fourth-winningest all-time coach in New Jersey high school basketball history, Sandy Pyonin. Mr. Pyonin has coached and trained more than 35 players who went to the NBA, his first being Newark’s own Edgar Jones, from Barringer High School. Other Newark standouts followed, including Anthony Avent of Shabazz and Randy Foye of East Side. Kyrie Irving, currently considered by many to be one of the most skilled players to ever play in the NBA, played his High School Amateur Athletic Union basketball for Mr. Pyonin.

“I am thrilled to have this new non-profit Youth Basketball & Development Academy to bring my passion and expertise to Newark, impacting as many kids as possible,” said Mr. Pyonin. In addition to training stars to the NBA, Mr. Pyonin has coached and trained more than 350 boys and girls to Division 1 basketball scholarships.

For registration click here, or to get more information or register by phone, call the Division of Recreation office at 973-733-6454 or the Department of Recreation, Cultural Affairs & Senior Services at 973-733-5373.

Advance registration is recommended, but walk-in registration is also available day of the program.

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