EMPOWERING OUR YOUTH WITH LIFE SKILLS THROUGH BASKETBALL BY
PROMOTING EDUCATION ENTREPRENEURSHIP MENTORING & JOURNALISM.
WE’RE MOLDING KIDS & TEENS INTO HONOR -ROLE HIGH-SCHOOL GRADS THEN TO
COLLEGE STUDENTS BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WE MAKE “ENTREPRENEURS”
NY1 CHERYL WILLS / COACH BEST & HIS yOUTH INITIATIVES
- NEW YORK 1‘s TOP JOURNALIST “CHERYL WILLS“ INVITED C.E.O “COACH BEST“ THIS PAST SUMMER 2022 TO TALK ABOUT HIS WORLD 🌎 PEACE ☮️ CAMPAIGN, FOCUS PHRASE & YOUTH INIATIAVE CALLED JUMPSHOTS OVER GUNSHOTS
JR. JOURNALIST BLAKE BEST & NBA STAR KYRIE IRVING @ G.M.A
SCROLL DOWN TO DONATE
VARSITY STUDENT ATHLETE,
JR. JOURNALIST,
BLAKE BEST - A GRAD
from THE CLASS of 2022
WAS @ GOOD MORNING AMERICA
IN THE TIMES SQUARE STUDIO
WITH OUR
N.B.A SUPER STAR,
“FUTURE HALL OF FAMER”
KYRIE IRVING
OF
THE DALLAS MAVERICKS
SEBASTIAN JOSEPH DAY 🏆 NFL CHAMPION & OUR JR. JOURNALIST
- WE WERE ABLE TO CHOP IT UP THEN INTERVIEW STROUDSBURG ALUMNI AND L.A. RAMS CHAMPION, SIR BASH AKA SEBASTIAN JOSEPH-DAY
our SIGNATURE brand apparel & primary fund-raiser - help us
BUILD YOUR RESUME, WHERE THE LEGENDS PLAY - shirts- SM - 4X
($20.00 shipping)
BUILD YOUR RESUME, WHERE THE LEGENDS PLAY . . is our SIGNATURE “ASCAP“ Published SONG 🎶🎤 🎼 IT’S ALSO THE SLOGAN & LOGO FOR OUR “2021“ SPORTS APPAREL collection. Ranging from T- SHIRTS, Sweat shirts to HOODIES - Long or Short sleeves etc. ITEMS ARE IN BLACK & WHITE COLORS ONLY . . . we been using it for our J.O.G BASKETBALL 🏀 EVENTS since August 15, 2021.
SUMMER 2023 JUMPSHOTS OVER GUNSHOTS 14U
COACH BEST COACH RICK and
THE 14U J.O.GEES
SUMMER 2023 JUMPSHOTS OVER GUNSHOTS 12U
COACH BEST GETS ANOTHER VICTORY @ RUCKER PARK
SUMMER STAFF 2021 / 6 COMMENDABLE AND DEPENDABLE
WE WERE SO PROUD OF OUR TEEN ALUMNI & YOUNG ADULTS THIS PAST SUMMER 2021 FOR THEIR HARDWORK & PUNCTUALITY.
OUR J.O.G STAFF / PEER LEADERS / from left to right. NATE - HONDO - JOSE Then there’s DONELL - JORDAN - JOSHUA
JOSE MENDES / catch his full video on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter
OUR
JR. JOURNALIST & STUDENT ATHLETE /
TALKS ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF KYRIE IRVING
SUMMER 2020, HARLEM SAW THE FIRST EVER 3 POINT CONTEST
THIS WAS THE 1ST EVER CLINIC THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC FOLLOWED BY THE 3 POINT COMPETITION PRACTICING SAFE AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. WE 1ST KICKED OFF IN ST. NICHOLAS PROJECTS FOLLOWED BY OUR 2ND EVENT ON 145TH STREET LENOX AVE AND SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST @ HOLCOMBE RUCKER PARK IN THE SUMMER OF 2020.
About OUR CEO & FOUNDER
COACH BEST
SO
THERE’S AN OLD SAYING :
THERE’S NOTHING
NEW UNDER THE SUN.
SEEMINGLY COACH BEST
WAS INSPIRED BY
BY TWO
ENTREPRENEURS
THAT CAME BEFORE HIM
IN THE SAME
NEIGHBORHOOD
OF
ST. NICHOLAS PARK SOUTH,
COACH BEST
HAD ADMIRED NOW
HAS A STREET CORNER
NAMED IN HIS HONOR
ON 131 STREET & 7th ave
AND THAT’S
MR. WILLIAM A. BYRD
WHO HAD
“35 PLUS“ YEARS
OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
UNDER HIS BELT.
MR. BYRD
GAVE COACH BEST
HIS 1ST
OPPORTUNITY AS A
SUMMER YOUTH
COUNSELOR
AND UTILI HIS ABILITY
TO HOST HIS
BYRD CLASSICS
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT.
THE OTHER GENTLEMAN
LEFT A LEGECY
OF OLD STORIES BEHIND
FOR COACH BEST TO
BE INSPIRED BY.
HIS NAME IS
ENSHRINED
ON A
PARK & PLAYGROUND
IN HARLEM,
AND THAT’S
HOLCOMBE L. RUCKER,
OF
HOLCOMBE
RUCKER
PARK
LOCATED @
155TH STREET
8th AVE.
MR. RUCKER USED
BASKETBALL AS A TOOL
FOR TEENS TO
OBTAIN AN
EDUCATION.
NOW HIS NAME
HAS LEGACY OF
EXCELLENCE
ATTACHED TO IT
AND PEOPLE
ACROSS THE GLOBE
WILL REMEMBER
THESE WORDS
BUILD YOUR RESUME,
WHERE THE LEGENDS PLAY
THE 2016 - ST. KNICKS FROM ST. NICHOLAS HOUSES. OUR 1ST FINALS APPEARANCE @ Each 1 Teach 1 / RUCKER PARK Championship 🥈 - 2ND PLACE
MR. WILLIAM A. BYRD
R.I.P
TO MY INSPIRATION
MR. WILLIAM A. BYRD
“1927 TO 2000”
MR. BRYD WAS
AND STILL IS AN INSPIRATION.
TO US.
HE STARTED AN ORGANIZATION
CALLED THE U.B.A IN 1966
“UNITED BLOCK ASSOCIATION“
IN THE ST. NICHOLAS
HOUSING PROJECTS
AND PROVIDED US
WITH YOUTH ACTIVITIES,
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
TO OCUPPY OUR IDLE TIME.
MR. BYRD
WAS NICK NAMED
“FIGURE HEAD“
BECAUSE HE WAS ALWAYS
THINKING OF A MASTER PLAN
TO UPLIFT
THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHICH LEAD TO THE
OPENING
OF A YOUTH CENTER
IN THE EARLY 70’s
NOW
THERE’S A STREET CORNER
NAMED AFTER HIM
CALLED
“WILLIAM A. BRYD PLACE”
THE BLOCK THAT ROCKS
ON
131st STREET 7th AVE.
MR. HOLCOMBE L. RUCKER
R.I.P
TO MY FRIENDLY GHOST
HOLCOMBE L. RUCKER
“1926 TO 1965”
MR. BYRD HAD TO HAVE SEEN
MR. RUCKER AND BEEN
INSPIRED BY HIM
WHEN HE CREATED
THE RUCKER TOURNAMENT
IN THE
ST. NICHOLAS PROJECTS
IN 1950 . .
WHICH WAS SAME YEAR THAT
ST. NICK PROJECTS OPENED
HIS DOORS FOR RESIDENCY.
THIS CREATION OF HIS WAS
THE 1ST EVER
SUMMER BASKETBALL LEAGUE
IN THE UNITED STATES,
WHERE YOUNG MEN WHO PLAYED
THERE ON THE BLACKTOP
WAS SEEN BY COLLEGE SCOUTS
AND WAS GIVING SCHOLARSHIPS
NOTABLY TO
SEVERAL
HISTORICAL BLACK
COLLEGE UNIVERSITIES
IN THE SOUTH.
THIS CREATION OF HIS ,
SUMMER LEAGUE
‘BASKETBALL
IS
NOW MIMICKED
WORLDWIDE.
🏀 🌎
HOLCOMBE RUCKER
HAD MOVED HIS TOURNAMENT
FROM ST.NICHOLAS
PROJECTS IN 1962
AND RELOCATED
UPTOWN TO
280 WEST 155TH STRRET
FREDERICK DOUGLAS BLVD
AND THAT
LOCATION WAS FORMERLY
KNOWN AS PLAYGROUND 156
THEN IT WAS RENAMED
HOLCOMBE RUCKER PARK
IN 1974.
THE INSPIRATION & GHOST OF HOLCOMBE RUCKER’S PAST
C.E.O SHAUN BEST
BEFORE J.O.G BECAME A TAX EXEMPT,
501C3 NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION,
MR. SHAUN BEST aka COACH BEST HAS SPENT OVER 20 YRS
WORKING IN THE FIELD
OF SOCIAL SERVICE, MENTORING & DEVELOPING THE MINDS
OF KIDS, TEENS and YOUNG ADULTS BY USING
CONFLICT RESOLUTION AS A COPING
MECHANISM WHEN FACE WITH STRESS, HARDSHIP OR ADVERSIITY
AT NUMEROUS FACILITIES FOR CHILD SERVI CES
AND HIS LAST JOB WAS @
THE CHILDREN’S VILLAGE
IN DOBBS FERRY, NY
B4 BECOMING
THE C.E.O
OF
JUMPSHOTS OVER GUNSHOTS
SO
Mr. BEST
is always making reference & sharing stories of the past with
Kids, Teens & Young Adults, Foreign or Domestic
ABOUT HARLEM’S WORLD FAMOUS HOLCOMBE RUCKER PARK,
HOLCOMBE L. RUCKER ,
THE LEGEND & PIONEER ,
EACH ONE TEACH ONE FOUNDERS
BOB McCOLLOUGH SR, FRED CRAWFORD SR,
AND C.E.O OF THE E.B.C
GREG MARIUS
when traveling from
N.Y..C TO L.A. OR EUROPE
NOW
JUMPSHOTS OVER GUNSHOTS.
. IS LOOKING FORWARD TO
HAVING A SAFE SPACE OF THEY’RE OWN ONE DAY,
A BUILDING CALLED
“THE J.O.G LEARNING CENTER.
OUR 2018 - 19 MILBANK 🏆 “WINNERS“
THIS WAS OUR 1ST TIME INVITED TO THE NEW YORK VS. PHILADELPHIA RIVALRY . .
THE 70th ANNUAL TRADITIONAL SERIES STARTED BY
“HOLCOMBE RUCKER” FROM HARLEM AND “SONNY HILL ” FROM PHILLY.
J.O.G WINS ( 34 TO 31 )
YOUNG CEO - in his SOPHOMORE year @ BLOOMSBURG COLLEGE
BLAKE BEST,
VARSITY STUDENT ATHLETE,
JR. JOURNALIST, TEEN ENTREPRENEUR
FROM THE GRADUATION CLASS OF 2022
ALSO
A YOUNG CEO IN TRAINING.
Blake has revamped
the J.O.G SPORTS APPAREL
and it’s dripping now
more than ever before.
Our sports apparel is used
for
FUNDRAISING & PROMOTION.
BLAKE is a SENIOR
@ STROUDSBURG AREA HIGH SCHOOL
Varsity Basketball all 4 years.
also collaborating with
EVA BLAISDELL of LADY ROCKET SPACE
in LOS ANGELES.
BLAKE BEST
was apart of THE 1ST EVER
2021 GRADUATING CLASS
OF THE
MAYOR’ S ACTION PLAN
( M.A.P ) YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.
BUT
WE’RE NOT DONE . .
BLAKE HAS CREATED AN
AMAZING FOLLOWING
ON TIK TOK
UNDER THE NAME
BLAKEETO.
SO ALL OF YOU WHO FOLLOW
ANIME OR FORT KNIGHT
IT’S DEFINITELY
AN ARTISTIC ADVENTURE
YOU DON’T WANNA MISS.
SO
STAY TUNED
🙏
OUR 2020 RUCKER PARK KIDS
DURING THE PANDEMIC
J.O.G WAS STILL ABLE TO FIND A WAY
TO PUT A SKILLS & DRILLS CAMP
TOGETHER
FOR OUR
“RUCKER PARK KIDS“
WHO TRULY HAVE A WONDERFUL
FRIENDSHIP AMONG EACH OTHER 🏀
OUR 2020 - 21 RUCKER PARK TEENS
WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT ALTHOUGH WE LOST THE GAME DURING THE 2021 NEW YORK VS. PHILLY . . THE SERIES IS TIED 1 - 1
BUT THE M.V.P WAS FROM OUR TEAM . . ON THE FAR RIGHT IN THIS PICTURE . . HIS NAME IS DONELL CAPERS 17PTS 8 REBS 4 ASST . . IN THE MIDDLE IS TYQUAN CUFFY . . TO THE LEFT IS JONATHAN WATTS. THESE ARE OUR RUCKER PARK TEENS WHO WERE APART OF THE 8TH AVE COLLABORATION.
THE 2017 SEASON @ RUCKER PARK
from left . .
TYLER PERRY - KARL UPSTART - GEORGE
ST.PARICK - BLAKE BEST - MARMODU ZULU - MALIKAI PEAKER
JUMPSHOTS OVER GUNSHOTS
WENT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN
BUT CAME UP SHORT IN THE 13U DIVISION.
WE MANAGED TO HAVE A 5 - 0 SEASON
AND LOST
IN THE FINALS @ RUCKER PARK
( 2ND PLACE )
🥈