ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Dozens of kids from across St. Petersburg came together Saturday night for a new initiative trying to steer youth away from violence, through the sport of basketball.
Whether it was warming up or taking a shot, each moment on the court earned so much more than another point on the scoreboard.
“I learned how to do a better pick and roll,” Kayden Sowell said. “You set a screen so somebody can get open and set a shot.”
Sowell may only be 11-years-old and one of the youngest players on the court, but he’s already talking like a seasoned pro.
"If your teammate was to score, you would be happy for them, they'd get more stats, and if you pass it to them, and they make it, you'll even get an assist," Sowell said.
Over the past few weeks, the players have been practicing and training for Saturday night’s tournament.
The Rising Stars Midnight Basketball Showcase is a new program organized by the St. Petersburg Housing Authority in partnership with the city. One goal is teaching kids lessons they can carry on and off the court as they grow up in a city that's seen its fair share of youth violence.
“The idea is to do it every year and to build on it and to do other sports as well, not just basketball,” said President & CEO of the St. Petersburg Housing Authority Michael Lundy.
For Lundy, the program mission is personal.
"If it had not been for sports, I would not be the person that I am today,” Lundy added. “Sports were the vehicle that helped me to learn discipline and to focus on my studies."
Volunteers like Eric Jackson, whose nonprofit Story 727 helps families in need, said he couldn’t pass on being part of this opportunity.
"Coaches have a lasting impact in a child's life,” Jackson said.
“We practice behavior therapy with kids, and we do it through basketball, letting them know through life what we can learn by playing basketball, what you can take at home and on the streets,” Jackson added.
While this program was a first, organizers say the goal is to continue it every year and expand it to other sports.
"If there had just been a trooper up there, maybe this whole thing could have been avoided."
A judge in Florida is sharing the story of his son's death in hopes of helping the Florida Highway Patrol trooper shortage.
