City youth participate in basketball tournament

It was intended to be a truce of sorts, a chance for enemies to put aside their grudges and to shoot hoops instead of bullets… And perhaps even more importantly, a welcome break from the violence that consumes so many young lives. Patrick Jones reports from the court, the basketball court.

Patrick Jones, Reporting
Their manoeuvres on the court rival any in the semi-pro league… but look closely; these are not your regular basketballers. For the last three months, so called ?at risk? young men from the Lake Independence area of Belize City have been engaged in a tournament designed to help them express their athletic talents on the court. Raymond ?Footie? Gongora organised the tournament.

Raymond ?Footie? Gongora, Tournament Organizer
?It was all about youths. All about youths trying to get rid of their beefs and their fighting against each other, stupid shootings for basically looking at each other hard and stuff like that. And it was all about the young man Arthur Crawford that had gotten killed basically and he was an aspiring baller and I just didn?t want to let go of him just like that.?

The tournament featured seven teams and culminated on Wednesday night with a classic match up featuring P.I.V. and Ebony. Both teams were able to execute their game plans and when the final whistle sounded, Ebony was one point better than P.I.V. to take the inaugural championship title.

Raymond ?Footie? Gongora
?That game was a very tough game. It was hard because the team that won, I could give them edge saying that they were a bit better. But the team that lost they played their hearts out. It was like I was watching one of the N.B.A. playoffs Wednesday night. I wish I had a video of it to go over it again and say, this was well played game. And some of the kids that were in it you would be surprised it?s the same street kids that we say well they don?t want anything good–nothing good will come out of them. But looking at those kids, it moved me because I was once a kid that came out of the same environment. And I know that if at this level they can control themselves for at least three months, and still be in a season, they can do it in their lives.?

And that is exactly what the competitors believe, that if given a chance they can prove to their families, and the community at large that it is possible to turn their lives around.

Roland Usher, Captain, Back-a-Town
?It was a good season, you know, all the youths come out and thing, support everybody and thing. The community, you know the vibes straight and thing. We had a little barbecue one time for the youths them and thing. It was all right.?

Patrick Jones
?What was it like playing with other young people, other boys from the hood so to speak??

Roland Usher
?Well strange because, you know, people has enemies bout and thing, you know, they don?t feel comfortable and thing. But still vibes, everybody come out, no fight no happen or anything, still straight and thing, same way, you know.?

Sidney Bradley, Vice Captain, Ghost Town
?It was nice same way, check, because all ah we know one another you know. All ah we dah from back dah Lake check, because this whole thing dah like lone Lake man, check. So dah mih a nice lee thing that all ah we know one another, no fight, no nothing, you know. Everybody just enjoy themselves.?

Both Bradley and Usher say because of the way the tournament was designed, and the involvement of players who share the same quest for survival in common, it was easy to coexist on the basketball court without bloodshed.

Roland Usher
?The youths them dah their own police in the streets and thing, everybody got their own, same way police got them thing. And everybody straight with each other, you know, so there is no violence and vibes, you know.?

Sidney Bradley
?Dah mi a good competition check. Nuff man from the other team them, some good players you know, so, can?t complain.?

Raymond ?Footie? Gongora
?That?s the basic idea. Instead of shooting bullets, come and shoot hoops, come and shoot out your frustration on the court, come and beat the guy with the ball. Come and beat him in a game and satisfy yourself that I am badder than you at the game, rather than badder than you at being in the streets and killing each other.?

And even when the players didn?t see eye to eye on the court, the competitive edge prevailed and the game continued in a spirit of mutual understanding, proving that sometimes all it takes to make a difference is for someone to believe in these young men.

Raymond ?Footie? Gongora
?Patrick I am glad you said that. We in our community have to start believe that our kids could be a kid from that same environment. And if we start believing in the kids that are before our kids and start working them they could be some proceeds and some benefits from it for our kids coming up. And the reason I am with my kids is because I see them coming up the same neighbourhood and it?s up to us adults to believe in these kids.?

Roland Usher
?Definite, definite, because then everybody dah one. You know, all ah we come from one community and thing, all the vibes come out, you know all the negative vibes, with positive, you know??

And while the competition has ended, the athletes are already looking forward to next year.

Roland Usher
?Be real. Be real with your niggers them and thing same way your peoples them.?

Sidney Bradley
?I would want next year they do the same thing and mek more team come join, more areas come tek part in a this.?

Patrick Jones
?What advice would you have for other young men??

Sidney Bradley
?Just want them stay out of trouble and just deal with Youth For the Future and Youth For the Future will help nuff a we, check.?

Raymond ?Footie? Gongora
?I think the tournament went well. Why say well? We didn?t have any shooting for one on the court. We didn?t have anybody hauling any weapon trying to hurt the other person, no police had to be called out here because there is a big incident happening. And based on the level of kids that we worked with youth at risk and mostly street kids I think I have got to give it an ?A?. I?ll be honest with you.?

Patrick Jones, for News Five.

The seven teams that took part in the competition included: Ghost Town, P.I.V., Back-a-Town, Raiders, Third World, Complex, and the 2005 champions, Ebony. Gongora says he would like to acknowledge Marion Usher, Tony Habet, and the National Sports Council for their contribution in making the tournament a success.