USA Basketball Outreach In Illinois Sponsorship
Tom Grace, one of the attorneys at Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys’ office in Chicago, has been working with young basketball players at the Salvation Army Cross Generations Community Center on Burr Oak Avenue in Blue Island since January 2016. Tom has coached youth basketball for eight years and shares his knowledge with both players and coaches at the Center.“Coaching kids is very rewarding to me,” says Tom Grace. “At times, I coach small groups of kids and at other times, I coach individual boys and girls.” “Overall, I have coached over 20 different players from the area.” Tom continued, “I had a chance to connect with many of the kids and really enjoyed the opportunity to share my knowledge of the game.” Tom works with D. Towers, a long time personal trainer at the Center, who is devoted to the development of the basketball talent in the Blue Island area.
Tom assists other coaches, like Dervel and Marlon Jackson with Jackson Community Services and the youth basketball teams that they organize.Josh Polanco, the former Captain at the Center, made the connection with Lt. Bersabe Vera, the Corp Officer and Pastor at the Center and had the idea of putting Tom’s passion for coaching to good use.
Josh, a minister, has been volunteering his time in the Blue Island area for many years and often leads church services at the Center. He was the Community Outreach Coordinator with the Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys. Based in the law firm’s Elgin office, organizes community events sponsored by the law firm all across Chicago. Recently, D. Towers organized a team from the Center to compete in a USA Basketball 3 on three tournaments on March 25, 2016, at the Southland Center in Lynwood and invited Tom to coach the team. The team consisted of 4 freshmen and sophomores from the Blue Island area and who regularly play at the Center in Blue Island. Of course, Tom jumped at the chance to coach.USA Basketball hosted the tournament.
More about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys and USA Basketball Outreach
Ten teams competed in a double elimination tournament for a chance to move on and compete on a regional and national basis, and ultimately for an opportunity to represent the USA Basketball Outreach in international play. Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys paid the entry fee, and Tom coached the team. The team finished second in the tournament. To get the Championship game, the team came back in the last two minutes to tie the game and got a critical stop on defense to force overtime. In overtime, they pushed ahead and won the game. A great comeback victory.
The boys fought hard but ultimately lost in Championship game to a group of older and very talented players.The players on the team got a chance to see where basketball might take them and learned that hard work and dedication is necessary to get there. On any given Saturday morning, you may find Tom at the Center in Blue Island sharing his knowledge and passion for the game of basketball with local players and coaches.
For Salvation Army event information or to donate directly to the Salvation Army at www.salarmychicago.org. To find out more about the USA Basketball Outreach program, contact us today also!