Game Plan Youth

We’ve all heard that the future lies within the kids of today. How many of us really take the time to understand what that means or invest the time it takes to insure that future is bright with young minds who can grow up to help their communities. That’s exactly what Gym Time Hoops is doing through basketball. If you haven’t been paying attention to youth sports then you need to start. It’s become a billion dollar industry with the formation of massive leagues around the country that host tournaments that will see families travel from coast to coast to participate, but what about the local levels? Are some of the kids being left behind? Dr. Roy Pinder and Fred Frierson are the founders of Gym Time Hoops, an organization that looks to build kids up at a local level. Not only do they focus on becoming great basketball players, good enough to travel to those big tournaments, but they focus on teaching kids how to become productive citizens. In the beginning it was about getting teams regardless of skill level, time on the floor. Today Gym Time Hoops has grown into an organization that is partnering with local high schools like Central High School to mentor teenagers through some of the more difficult years through Partners in Education. “Every team needs gym time, more opportunity to improve their skills. We started eight or nine years ago coaching girls basketball and we noticed that teams needed more time in the gym,” said Dr. Pinder, one of the co-founders of Gym Time Hoops. “Playing locally the teams just weren’t that competitive and we have to do a lot of traveling out of town. Our goal was to provide a tournament, another venue for teams to get more gym time.” His partner, Fred Frierson, knows the value in getting them in the gym for numerous reasons. “At the same time we know that getting them in the gym we can start incorporating the mindset that it’s not all about the game of basketball. Everything we do is based on a positive mindset and we try to make sure that we put the kids first,” said coach Fred. Coaching athletes at a high level is nothing new for these two. Just look at the list of names that have come through their program, names like Alyssia Brewer and Tia Magee. Both are heading off this summer to major universities to play basketball. “Once you realize how this game is played you really start to focus on making those better people. In the early days we were all about winning now we’re still about winning, but we want to make sure we keep that these kids are developing and the number seven or eight kids still interested in the game of basketball,” said coach Fred. For Gym Time Hoops the term “youth” is really a term used to describe anyone under the age of 18. “We start with boys and girls in the third grade and go all the way to twelfth grade,” said coach Fred. And it’s that diversity that helps make this such a unique opportunity for kids. One of the biggest miss conceptions about Gym Time Hoops is that they are doing the same thing other basketball tournaments are doing. They give out a “Team Player” award at every tournament and that award doesn’t have to go to the kid that scored the most points, in fact it usually goes to a kid that may play a limited role on the team, but exemplifies what it is to have team spirit. Who is encouraging their teammates and who always has the smile on their face. “We want teams to play other teams that are better than they are so they can see what that level of basketball is suppose to look like,” said Dr. Pinder. “We were the first to bring an NCAA tournament showcase to Tulsa. When we started this two years ago it was just a fundraiser. We’ve made a plan to have a lot of new things in the next two and three years,” said Dr. Pinder. Those new things could include their own gym, more mentoring programs, teaming up with Boys and Girls Clubs to mentor youth whether they play basketball or not. It’s all part of a vision these coaches have not only for themselves, but for the youth that play for them and in their tournaments. One of the toughest things to handle when you’re involved in a league or a team is the communication between parent and coach or coordinator. Gym Time Hoops takes that communication serious, not only for their parents, but for the coaches that are playing in their tournaments. “I think that’s very important. If you’re running a tournament you are providing a service. Communication is key, knowing where you play, who you play and when you play is paramount. They have to be able to get in touch with you because that can become frustrating for them,” said Dr. Pinder. “A lot of our people that participate in our tournaments want to come back. We have a lot of repeat business because of the service. We try to create win-win situations for everyone. We’re very user friendly and we listen to the coaches they can come to us with questions or problems and we try to work issues out for them,” said coach Fred. When you spend time with the founders of this unique company you realize the work they are doing is special. Kids today need role models. They need a place were its ok to not be the best, but to know what that looks like and to set a goal and achieve it. Gym Time Hoops is light years ahead of anyone else in this field. “The message we have to get out to people is that Gym Time Hoops is here to help that person evolve and help them through that process,” said Dr. Pinder.