Youth and Family Services to Host 1st Annual Youth Basketball Tournament This Weekend

Think you’re LeBron James at the Logan courts? Put your skills to the test at the upcoming — and free — Youth and Family Services’ 1st Annual 3-on-3 Youth Basketball Tournament.

Scheduled for Oct. 15 at , organizers hope to attract more than 100 local youth participants.

The tournament will feature 15-minute games with up to eight teams in three different age groups in both boys and girls divisions. The winning team in each division will receive a $100 gift card. There will also be entertainment and free food.

The purpose of the event is to give Youth and Family Services’ Street Outreach program more visibility on the west side of Union City, said outreach worker Darl Michael.

“We just want to make people aware of our services over there,” he said. “It’s more than just walking the streets.”

Part of the city’s , the Street Outreach program consists of a small team of three outreach workers — Michael, Jasmine Valentine and lead outreach worker John Cabrera — who engage with youth that are believed to be involved in gangs and criminal activity.

Instead of waiting for youth to come to them, they bring services to the youth directly by approaching them in their communities, at school and at events to offer alternatives to street life. Outreach workers then refer youth for additional services, including counseling, education and job training.

The program has made strides in Decoto, where outreach workers and other Youth and Family Services staff run a successful .

But while their presence is well-known in Deocoto, Michael acknowledges a need for a greater presence on the other side of I-880, particularly in Contempo.

“We don’t have too many things going on on that side,” he said.

Saturday’s tournament begins at noon and lasts until 5 p.m. at Contempo Park.

To participate in the tournament, download the registration form here. The form can be dropped off at the or .

Those who can not drop off the form at either location may also contact Darl Michael at 510-453-8418 to schedule a pick-up.