New York Metropolitan AAU “THE ROAD BACK TO TOUR” 2021 THE ROAD BACK TO BASKETBALL

The New York Metropolitan AAU’s “Road Back To Basketball Tour” is a collaborative effort by the district and National AAU to get our boys back to the game of basketball.

To help motivate everyone to take advantage of this tour, we are offering 4 outstanding tournaments and bonuses for one total and discounted price of $1,050. Addition ally all teams will realize a savings between, discounts & bonuses of more than $350!

For the first time, the district will host the “Urban Initiative” Outdoor Tournament in partnership with the national organization. Read a little about each tournament and follow the links to each registration area. After you register, train, prepare and Pack your team bag, and hit “The Road Back To Basketball Tour” Start at: NY Metropolitan AAU District Championships

April & May. Various dates April 30th – May 16th. Top 2 in all DISTRICT divisions compete in finals round on May 31st, “Championship Monday”.

CHAMPIONSHIPS & Island Garden in West Hempstead, NY CHAMPIONSHIP MONDAY 3-game minimum. Top 2 go on to Championship Monday $475 per team (if on “The Tour” $400) NY METROPOLITAN AAU BOYS 2021 DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS Please complete the information listed below and forward with a check or money payable to and for payment in full ($475) to the venue applicable: Games at ISLAND GARDEN Payable to: Lightning Basketball Mail To: 45 Cherry Valley Ave., West Hempstead, NY 11552 Phone: 516-292-4956 Games at GAUCHOS-TBD Payable to: NY Gauchos Mail To: 478 Gerard Avenue, Bronx, NY 10451 Phone: 718-665-6952 No entry will be accepted without full payment fee, as well as submission of the AAU roster are required in order to complete the registration. There is a (3) game minimum with pool play followed by bracket play. ONLINE REGISTRATION PREFERRED. PLEASE USE A SEPARATE FORM FOR EACH ENTRY. Registration deadline: 2 weeks before the start of the event. AGE DIVISION DI Date Venue D2 Date Venue D3 Date Venue 8U DI TBD Gauchos D2 NA NA D3 NA NA 9U DI TBD Gauchos D2 Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden D3 May 14-16 Island Garden Each age/grade compete in their 10U DI Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden D2 Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden D3 May 14-16 Island Garden respective Division, I, II or III, on their 11U DI TBD Gauchos D2 Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden D3 May 14-16 Island Garden 12U DI Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden D2 Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden D3 May 15-16 Island Garden assigned weekend. 13U DI TBD Gauchos D2 Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden D3 May 15-16 Island Garden 14U DI Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden D2 Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden D3 May 15-16 Island Garden 9th Grade/15U DI May 14-16 Island Garden D2 May 14-16 Island Garden D3 May 15-16 Island Garden The top 2 teams in each age category in 10th Grade/16U DI May 14-16 Island Garden D2 May 14-16 Island Garden Divisions I, II & III return to the Island 11th Grade/17U DI May 14-16 Island Garden D2 May 14-16 Island Garden 12th Grade/20U DI Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden Garden on “Championship Monday”, 5th Grade BASED May 14-16 Island Garden st May 31 . 6th Grade BASED May 14-16 Island Garden 7th Grade BASED Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden 8th Grade BASED Apr 30-May 2 Island Garden The finest in Boys Basketball is present ALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES FOR EACH OF THESE TOURNAMENTS WILL BE PLAYED ON NY METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIP MONDAY, MAY 31, 2021 annually at this great tournament series. Club Name: Club AAU #:

Team Name:

Head Coach: Cell#:

Email:

Assistant Coach: Cell#

Email: REV 2/16/2021 SUMMER BOYS CHALLENGE

§ Stop at: Lightning Basketball’s Boys Summer Challenge § June 11-13

§ Island Garden in West Hempstead, NY

§ 3-game minimum.

§ $395 per team (if on “The Tour” $325) The Summer Boys Challenge is hosted by Lightning Basketball. Lightning Basketball is an AAU club that spans more than 25 years serving youth not only in the NY Metropolitan area but in other regions of New York and the northeast.

One of Lightning’s purposes is to use the children’s love for the sport of basketball to instill values that can be used by the young person for many years to come.

Lightning uses that natural affinity to provide both a productive use of their time and talents while also seizing the opportunity to teach life skills that will have long term positive impact on them and their world.

Children ranging in age from 8 to 18 are taught to work together under a positive role model who will make every effort to develop not only the athletic skills of each player but also instill such critical values as working toward goals, sportsmanship, reliance on peers, hard work and fair play.

Lightning Basketball is geared toward all ability levels. There are teams for the highly skilled and other for developing athletes. Last season we fielded 300 teams (3200 young athletes) that were diverse in terms of race, socio-economic status, athletic skill and geography. We teach that sports is the great equalizer and that everyone is “the same” when they become a member of a team. BIG APPLE SUMMER SLAM

§ Next Stop: NY Metropolitan AAU

Big Apple Summer Slam

§ June 18-20 § Island Garden in West Hempstead, NY

§ 3-game minimum

§ $395 per team (if on “The Tour” $325) The Big Apple Summer Slam is hosted by the New York Metropolitan District of the AAU.

New York Metropolitan AAU is a District within the National AAU. The district typically averages over 17,000 members. The district was founded over 100 years ago by James Sullivan who started the National AAU in New York City at the NY Athletic Club. NEW YORK AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) has 42 different sports for males and females ages 7 through adult. The AAU has over 700,000 members nationally. The principal sports are boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, Metropolitan track and field, hockey, flag football, tackle football, inline hockey and AAU ice hockey. The district’s officers are all volunteers who are committed to bringing sports to New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Orange Counites. A critical part and priority of the New York Metropolitan AAU is the Urban Initiative.

Most importantly, New York AAU is designed to bring all sports to all children, regardless of ability level, race, socio-economic status, religion, gender or age. Our goal is " Sports For All, Forever". AAU URBAN INITIATIVE Outdoor Tournament

§ Next Stop: NY Metropolitan’s “URBAN INITIATIVE” Outdoor Tour nament § Outdoor courts in NYC, Westchester County and Nassau County-More details to come. § July 21-August 8th § 3-game minimum § $125 per team (if on “The Tour” Free) § The AAU Urban Initiative is a multifaceted program directed at disadvantaged youth in urban and rural settings. The program is structured to meet the unique needs of each community it serves. The goal of the program is to create productive citizens who will have a positive impact on their community.

§ The AAU Urban Initiative is not just about sports. For every athlete who AAU URBAN attains professional status after AAU, there are thousands more who apply their AAU experience elsewhere. Through participation in AAU INITIATIVE sports programs, athletes acquire the mental acuity, emotional maturity and social tools necessary to succeed in the classroom and in the professional world beyond.

§ The AAU Urban Initiative is about bringing youth together in a safe setting where sports can be used as a passage to a productive and meaningful existence. This is needed now more than ever. We very much want to bring young athletes, police, and religious leaders together through the vehicle of sports. DATES AND TIMES OF THE TOURNAMENT Tournament will begin Nassau County on July 24. Tournament will begin in NYC on July 21 Games in NYC will be on the weekends of July 24,25,31 and August 1. Games in Nassau County will be on July 20,21,22, 24,25, 28, 29, 30, 31 & August 1. Semi Finals will be held at the Island Garden on August 7 and 8. Game times will be 9 AM to 7 PM at all NYC sites. Times at Nassau County sites with the exception of Island Garden will be from 5 PM to 9 PM. . Island Garden will be 6 PM to 11 PM on weekdays and 9 AM to 11 PM on weekends.

GAME SITES DATES & Brooklyn - St. John's Park located at Trop Avenue and Prospect Place - 3 courts - July 24, 25, 31 and August 1. LOCATIONS Bronx - Orchard Beach - 4 courts - July 24, 25, 31 and August 1 Queens - Queensbridge Housing and Baisley Housing - same dates as above Manhattan - Lexington Avenue and 114 Street - 2 courts and we are waiting other locations from Department of Parks. Staten Island - TBD - should confirm by this week. Nassau County - Cantiague Park, Hicksville - 2 courts - July 20,21,22, 28,29 and 30. Rev. Mackey Park in Roosevelt - same dates and times as Cantiague Park. Island Garden in West Hempstead July 24,25, 31 and August 1,7 and 8. Westchester County - TBD DESCRIPTION OF NY METROPOLITAN AAU New York Metropolitan AAU is a District within the National AAU. We have averaged over 17,000 members each year for the last five years. The district was founded over 100 years ago by James Sullivan who started the National AAU in NYC at the NYAC. AAU has 42 different sports for males and females ages 7 through adult. The AAU has over 700,000 members nationally. Our principal sports are boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, track and field, hockey, flag football, tackle football, inline hockey and ice hockey. The District officers are all volunteers who are committed to bringing sports to New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Orange Counites. A critical part of New York Metropolitan AAU is the Urban Initiative.

Most importantly, New York AAU is designed to bring all sports to all children, WHO MAY regardless of ability level, race, socio-economic status, religion, gender or age. PARTCIPATE Our goal is " Sports For All, Forever". PARTICIPANTS IN THE EVENT The age groups for the event will be from 10 - 19 for both boys and girls. We intend on having 500 teams which equates to 11,000 players and 100 coaches. The participants will come from the entire district, but the majority will reside within the five boroughs. Special emphasis will be placed on recruiting participants and teams from underserved areas that have been prohibited from playing basketball in their schools since March 2020. Current Active Players in NBA Who Played AAU

NAMES CURRENT NBA TEAM JALEN LECQUE PHOENIX SUNS ERIC PASCHALL JUSTIN FOREMAN UTAH JAZZ MOHAMEED BAMBA THOMAS BRYANT WASHINGTON WIZARDS TOBIAS HARRIS PHILADELPHIA 76ERS KEMBA WALKER BOSTON CELTICS TAJ GIBSON NY KNICKS KYLE QUINN PHILADELPHIA 76ERS MAURICE HARKLESS PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS UTAH JAZZ LANCE THOMAS BROOKLYN NETS HAMADOU DIALLO

The list of former NBA players would run into the hundreds. There are also have multiple NBA and College Division l Coaches whose career began in AAU. AAU BONUSES & Contact Info

BONUSES

11 players & 1 coach AAU membership. Value $172 and AAU World Championship Bid. District will fund $100 per team that bids.

Participate in the tour and get on “THE ROAD BACK TO BASKETBALL” To enter the Tour and take ”The Road Back To Basketball” CLICK HERE and open the hyperlink.

For information and/or questions email [email protected], [email protected] or call the Island Garden at 516-292-4956

You can copy and paste this link in your browser: http://lightningbasketball.leagueapps.com/tourname nts/2277907-the-tour-the-road-back-to-basketball