The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) along with partners Jr. NBA, the Police Athletic League (PAL) and Leadership Foundations brought their Full Court Press: Prep For Success program to Tupelo, Mississippi at Tupelo Middle School on Saturday, August 13, 2016.
Former NBA and WNBA players Cedric Henderson, Larry Spicer, Arvesta Kelly, Quacy Timmons and Winston Garland were on hand to leave an impact on the Tupelo community.
The former players spent the day assisting the kids with multiple activities throughout the day including on-court basketball drills, mentoring roundtables, and classroom sessions. Arvesta Kelly acknowledged the importance of the Full Court Press program.
“It’s important to me for youth to participate in sports and learn the correct fundamentals,” Kelly told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. “It’s not only a way of exercising, but it’s a way for them to get an education.”
Tupelo Police Athletic League Executive Director Lt. Michael Russell was hoping to see 150 kids at the clinic yet were ecstatic when he discovered over 250 kids appearing before him.
Speaking to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, he said, “This clinic is 50/50. It’s 50 percent basketball and 50 percent classroom life skills. The retired players will teach them how to conduct themselves as athletes, as productive citizens and how to deal with adversity.”
The day was a huge success and the kids came raving away about their experience with the former players. It is through the very important assistance of partners Jr. NBA, PAL, Leadership Foundation, the Tupelo Public School District, Century Construction and Renasant Bank that days like Saturday can be held with great results.
To view the full story of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal’s coverage of the Full Court Press clinic, click here.
WTVA/WLOV TV also attended the clinic and did a feature story on the channel’s news broadcasts. The story can be viewed here.
The next Full Court Press clinic is scheduled for August 27 in Boston, Massachusetts. For photos from this past weekend’s Full Court Press, please visit our Facebook page here.
About the National Basketball Retired Players Association
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is comprised of former professional basketball players from the NBA, ABA, WNBA and Harlem Globetrotters. It is a 501(c) 3 organization with a mission to develop, implement and advocate a wide array of programs to benefit its members, supporters and the community. The NBRPA was founded in 1992 by basketball legends Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Archie Clark, Dave Cowens and Oscar Robertson. The NBRPA works in direct partnerships with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. Arnie D. Fielkow is the President and CEO, and the NBRPA Board of Directors includes Chairman of the Board Thurl Bailey, Vice Chairman Dwight Davis, Treasurer Eldridge Recasner, Secretary Nancy Lieberman, Rick Barry, James Donaldson, Mike Glenn, Spencer Haywood, LaRue Martin Jr., David Naves, Johnny Newman and Casey Shaw.
About the Jr. NBA presented by Under Armour
The Jr. NBA presented by Under Armour is the league’s youth basketball participation program that teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. Through a network of affiliated youth basketball organizations, live events and interactive experiences, the Jr. NBA will reach five million youth ages 6-14 in the U.S. and Canada over a two-year period as part of its expanded efforts launched in October 2015. The Jr. NBA partnership network is comprised of youth basketball programs of all NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League teams as well as elementary and middle schools, military installations and longstanding community partners, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Jewish Community Centers of North America, National Association of Police Athletic Leagues, National Recreation and Park Association, National Wheelchair Basketball Association, Special Olympics, and YMCA of the USA.
About PAL
The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Incorporated (National PAL) is a national youth crime prevention program that brings youth and law enforcement together in a positive environment that promotes trust and respect for each other. The "Mission" of National PAL and its member chapters work to prevent juvenile crime and violence by building the bond between cops and kids. National PAL exists to prevent juvenile crime and violence by providing civic, athletic, recreational and educational opportunities and resources to PAL Chapters. The PAL concept was developed in New York City, NY in 1914. From those successful origins the PAL concept spread, PAL programs developed in other communities. Today, there are over 400 PAL Chapters partnering with law enforcement agencies servicing over 700 cities and 1,700 facilities throughout the United States, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Nigeria, serving more than one million youth, ages 5 to 18.
About Leadership Foundations
Leadership Foundations is a global network of organizations working to transform the cities in which they exist and serve. These local leadership foundations (LLFs) work to make their cities better by convening people and organizations from all of its sectors, building the capacity of others and creating joint initiatives that address their community’s greatest needs. Every LLF approaches this mission in a unique way according to their abilities and their city’s needs. At Leadership Foundations, we connect our global network of LLFs, develop their ability to accomplish more with others and equip them with tools to make change happen more effectively, more collaboratively and with greater permanence and impact on their cities.