Showdown Youth Development Organization Inc.

DESCRIPTION

The Showdown Youth Development Organization is focused on providing academic and recreational alternatives for at-risk youths in the South End / Lower Roxbury and other areas of Boston. It is an organization that takes advantage of the strong interest in sports, particularly basketball, of the targeted youth population to enhance the athletic and academic skills of these young people in an effort to find places for them in private and or public institutions that are focused on providing specific paths to higher education opportunities. The target demographic for the Showdown organization is primarily Black and Latino teenagers from low-income families in the South End / Lower Roxbury as well as other areas of Boston who cannot afford camps or other recreational alternatives for children after school or in the summer. This program is based on specific selection criteria and children that are chosen to participate are strategically chosen from multiple Boston Housing developments in an effort to promote unity and understanding through the medium that sports programs and education mentoring and tutoring can provide.

Program History

The Showdown Youth Organization has been in operation since 1997. The idea emerged from a conversation Showdown Founder and executive director , Donovan Walker, had while sitting with a friend in the Titus Sparrow Park, located in the South End. The friend, Tim Bailey, suggested he use his positive rapport with the neighbourhood children to run a basketball club similar to those run in the suburbs of Boston. That August, Mr. Walker's friend, Tim died suddenly. The Showdown Youth Development Organization was born and in 1992, held its first event - the Tim Bailey Memorial Basketball Tournament. This annual summer tournament has taken place each year since then.

As escalating gang violence in recent years has plagued the South End and Lower Roxbury areas of Boston, Showdown Youth Development Organization has worked to implement initiatives to address the needs of neighborhood youth by providing enrichment opportunities through field trips to professional sports events and opportunities to meet and talk to professional athletes as well as other professional role models. The goal is to provide programs that prevent this cycle of violence from beginning by providing a strong support structure for children to think and play while developing skills. The Showdown program is a great example of a grassroots program that has the support of many of these groups including both volunteers and financial assistance from the Boston, MBTA and Massachusetts State Police.

During its first two years of operation, the Showdown Youth Development Organization had over 200 boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 19 participate. The club has had teams participate in the renowned Boston Neighborhood Basketball League (BNBL), the Camille Cosby Tournaments and the Teen Empowerment Tournaments. However, over the course of the history of the organization, Showdown has developed into much more than a basketball club.