news-record.com

High Point Midnight Basket­ball, in its seventh year, will start July 13 at Morehead Recreation Center, 101 Price St., High Point, and Aug. 3 at Southside Recreation Center, 401 Taylor Ave., High Point.

Capt. Al Williams of the High Point Police Department said as a student resource officer he learned kids didn’t have any plans for summer camp. They either couldn’t afford existing camps, had no transportation or didn’t have access to information about opportunities available.

Knowing that increases in juvenile violence are tied to a lack of activities for youth during the summer, Williams started researching programs to provide an outlet for kids and keep them off the street. That’s when he discovered a midnight basketball camp in Chicago.

“We have the same problems as Chicago with youth violence, although not at the same magnitude,” Williams said. Chicago’s program reported a reduction in youth violence, and Williams said High Point’s program has had the same effect.

Williams was impressed with what he learned and decided to figure out a way to craft a similar program to get kids off the street and into constructive activities. At the same time, Williams wanted to provide life skills and job placement training for the kids.

That’s when he turned to Greta Bush of the city Parks and Recreation Department and Mary Flowers of the High Point Housing Authority for help.

“We selected topics and issues the kids were going through,” Bush said. But the program committee doesn’t just select the topics. The groups asks the kids what they face day-to-day and what they want to learn about.

Topics have included attitude, self-esteem, peer pressure, the court system, career tracks, continuing education, alcohol and drugs and HIV/AIDS.

“The crucial element is listening to them,” Bush said. “We could talk till we’re blue in the face,” she said. But giving the kids information on what they’re interested in keeps their attention.

The program is available for boys and girls, ages 10 to 18. Since some information won’t be appropriate at all ages levels, the kids are broken into a two group — ages 10 to 13 and 14 to 18. The older kids will get more in depth information on topics such as teenage pregnancy.

Presenters come in and speak with the kids, but it’s not all lectures. Kids form groups and work out problems together. They also can speak with the presenters one-on-one, if needed.

After two weeks of workshops, the third week is spent shooting hoops. “We’re trying to promote the next entrepreneur, next doctor or lawyer, not the next Kobe Bryant,” Williams said about the strong emphasis on workshops and life skills rather than basketball.

With the relaunch of the program at Southside Recreation Center this year, Midnight Basketball needs more volunteers than ever. The committee hopes to attract up to 150 students per session.

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241, or elizabeth. seagraves@news-record.com