A lot of young people love to watch and play basketball. This group includes people plus their parents will also come and watch. Back in the nineties some people came together with an interesting thought. What if we put together a midnight basketball league for young Adults 18 to 25 years of age to keep them busy and off the street? Would it work? After a lot of planning and organization the league was formed. Crime was one of the considerations back then also. The thought was to keep this core age group busy and occupied during this critical time. The league’s time was 9pm to 1am on game night.
Skip Robinson was the head of the league. All the players got donated basketball shoes from the sponsors. Skip stated there was not a problem finding sponsors especially with the help of Roundy’s President Jerry Lestina, who was on the league’s board of directors. The players needed to show up for games and follow the rules. Do not get arrested. Attend the meeting after the game which featured speakers from the community. No fights in the game or inside the community center. If you did not attend the meeting after the game, you got one chance then you would be finished. Games were three times a week and the gym were packed with fans. The championship game was held at the Mecca. The sponsors offered over forty jobs to the players.
The league was a success and plans were made to expand to a second location the following year on the southside at UCC. Skip and one of the players went to Washington, DC to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Committee was told that the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee was crucial in keeping youth away from drugs and crime. The youth at age 12 use to gamble, steal cars and deal drugs. He was headed to the House of Correction and State Prison. Now he is on a more positive pathway and turning his life around. Many other league members would have comparable stories to tell.
I do know this was back in the nineties, but I believe this could work again today if we could find the people to run and fund this program. We currently have many issues in the city with car thefts, robberies, shooting and homicides among crimes. The police cannot take care of this by themselves so what do we have to lose.