A local non profit organization which is recognized by the city and the mayor is Mighty 4 Arts Foundation of Union City. I can't say enough about what M4 brings to community youth. We are so honored to have been invited to their annual event. Uptempo Hoops was the only community youth basketball organization invited. Other organizations even asked to participate and were turned away. Mighty 4 and UH's values and mission align...all about what we can do for the youth.
When we arrived, there were already smiling UH faces which greeted us. They have been enjoying the fun event on a beautiful Saturday. The girls' teams were the first to arrive showing that UH included both female and male athletes. These divas came to represent and they did it well. Hip hop music was blaring and moving the ground beneath our feet. The beat accompanied our every step making our load appear light. The air was filled with the aromas of food trucks and sounds of laughter and conversation. It was a street party at its best. The mood was exciting and pure fun. The atmosphere...inviting. Uptempo Hoops set up right in the middle of all the action, near the pavilion, near the food, near the dancing, near everything. All the booths were set in a way which was part of the festivities.
Although we were to "work"...and I use that loosely...we were part of the party. The wonderful thing about UH is how we pull together. Everyone volunteering to help. We were able to watch the young break dancers and the ninos with their beautiful baile Mexicano. It was a pleasure seeing all these children showcase their talent. There were some talented adults as well. There were rappers and DJ's, two of my favorite were female who brought the girl power. This event had inspiration from all urban arts for all ages, race and gender. What did UH bring and how did we fit? Well, we fit perfectly (wink). UH brought another aspect of using talent and empowering community youth. We were part of hosting the 3 on 3 event, which was exciting. It started with some of our Junior UH'ers and community kids K-3 on one side of the court playing. The girls teams played on the other side of the court. Both half courts were full of action displaying the energy and lessons learned, which UH brings. Later our 5th grade came to represent and this 3 on 3 got competitive. However, as cousins in any family, there is always competition followed by play. These boys did not want to separate at the end of the evening. Our hard top event ended with the best part to watch. The 16 and over 3 on 3 game. Which started out as 2 on 3, half court...turned into a 5 on 5 full court of dads and coaches and young local talent. Even some dad's sub'ed in during the 10 minute game. This goes to show you...never too old, not for new tricks, not for basketball...never too old to have fun with players half your age. Some of our "old men" showed some skill out there. Both sides did a great job of entertaining the cheering crowd. UH families including coaches and Board members continued to arrive throughout the whole event. The 4th grade, 5th grade and 6th grade came after hard fought tournaments and winning a few games. Once the tournaments were over, it was time to relax and party.
The day wore on and the evening was invitingly warm. At the end of the evening, everyone tired and happy, it was almost sad to have to wrap things up. The event coordinator, Arthur took the time to thank us and invite UH to future events. We are more than happy to collaborate with M4 on any community event which gives youth avenues for creativity and talent. We were honored to be part of this success. Moreover we were proud. I'm so thankful for the UH families. Many came to support us and M4. Many members stepped up and helped out at the booth. I received messages from families who were disappointed they weren't able to make it. This was mostly due to our lack of planning. It being the first time for us, we waited til the last minute to announce when UH would be present. This was also due to Saturday tournaments. We've learned from our mistake. Next time, we encourage all families to come, represent and hang out until anytime during the event. When we arrived, there was no pressure or "where have you been?"...it was just "set up...enjoy". Even with our faux pas, we pulled off quite a successful event. Very very proud of UH.
Stay tuned and check the website for future exciting events. You can also check out the M4 website at www.mighty4.com. We not only suggest following them, but we encourage it. On www.uptempohoops.com, you can view the slideshow which was played during the M4 Day event. It is snapshot of our success as an organization at the mid season point. Be sure to check on the M4 blog on their website. Try to enlarge the aerial shot. Who is that in the top right of the picture?? Well, that's Uptempo Hoops!! Wha-what???
To me, with all the medals and trophies set aside, this day was one of UH's most successful moments.
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