Playing Smart changelabsolutions.org | kaboom.org 29 The councilman’s committee then integrated a mentorship program. The 2011 Community Intervention Initiative was a 12-week program developed by local basketball star Modie Cox, who runs a national program called Winning Because I Tried (whose motto is “no workshop, no jump shot”). Kids arrived after school, met with five volunteer mentors, heard a guest speaker – topics ranged from health, personal finance, conflict resolution, and other essential life skills – and then got to play in three games that evening. “Niagara Falls is a poverty-stricken community,” Cox says. “It’s very easy to get yourself in trouble because there aren’t a lot of opportunities.” To even Cox’s surprise, the mentoring was a hit. Sixty kids signed up, and 45 completed the program – a relatively high retention rate. Cox describes one young man who mouthed off at his teammates. After talking with Cox, he decided not to stalk off and drop out, instead agreeing to apologize to the entire group and sit out that night’s game. He became a model participant and finished the program. In June 2012, the city will induct its first local athlete into the Legends Hall of Fame. “So kids will see people – maybe even their own grandfather – honored for their athletic ability and support to the community,” Walker says, “and hopefully it will help them stay focused and want to make it up there themselves.” More than 60 public and private organizations, including the city school district, police department, and the housing authority, are regularly involved in Legends programming. During basketball games and tournaments, public concerts, and wellness fairs, representatives from these groups provide health care, education, and employment opportunity information. Niagara Falls has often used informal (or “handshake”) agreements to expedite new programming. But Legends Basketball Park required some of the city’s first formalized joint use agreements. The first was between the city and the Niagara Falls Housing Authority. The Housing Authority provides an indoor gymnasium facility. The city pays the Authority to use the facility and provides insurance, and the Authority is indemnified. The second agreement was between Winning Because I Tried Enterprises and the city. The group provides mentoring services, during which the city is covered by the group’s insurance in the event of injury. The city and the Police Athletic League created the third partnership. The league holds its annual Beat the Streets Basketball Tournament at the court, and it provides a certificate of insurance that indemnifies the city. Finally, the city and two individuals who operate the Summer Basketball Tournament established a fourth agreement. The Summer Basketball
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