Jeff hosts successful basketball tournament in Fairground Park
Although the short-jokes were aplenty, with one spectator even saying Jeff was "only up to my armpit," over 300 competitors and spectators came to Fairground Park to participate in our first annual "Jeff Smith 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament." Over twenty teams came together one June 10 for a competitive double-elimination tournament that lasted through the day. The event was a huge success, bringing in a number of people from the surrounding community and St. Louis city.
"Jeff always talks about getting young people involved in politics," said event co-chair Dave Buckner. "Jeff and I have played and coached together for years, and we thought basketball could be a tool for getting young people to come out and learn about politics. They got a chance to see a candidate for office in a setting where they feel comfortable."
Jeff has been coaching basketball for almost 14 years, so the idea for the basketball tournament came naturally to him. The St. Louis American featured an article in their Sports section last week on the 3 on 3 Tournament, emphasizing how it bridged a racial divide that has characterized St. Louis for many years. "St. Louis politics are traditonally seen through this tired prism of Northside vs. Southside, white vs. black. It doesn't have to be that way," said Jeff.
Jeff found a lot of time to make some moves on the court, exemplifying that candidates for public office can have some great game on and off the court. "Anybody who can take my crossover and still want to shake my hand afterwards--thats what I call sticking to the community," said Jay Sloan, whose team got first place.
Besides the action on the court, Pastor Llewellen and local political activist Fred Johnson helped fry catfish for spectators and participants. We went through 75 pounds of catfish in just a few hours. Ben and Jerry's generously gave us several pounds of ice cream, which also was consumed in a few hours during the intense humidity of St. Louis summer days.
Participants were encouraged to register to vote and were given information on getting the most from state and local government. The event featured booths providing instructions on enrolling in state-subsidized health care plans, free youth summer camps, and the Confluence Academies, a group of city schools Smith co-founded. Additionally, the Just Us Tennis Association, which promotes tennis among inner-city youth, provided lessons for the younger spectators.
"My campaign is about reaching out to those who have been ignored by the city's political establishment," Jeff said. "This event helped us connect with some who feel left out of the process."
"Jeff always talks about getting young people involved in politics," said event co-chair Dave Buckner. "Jeff and I have played and coached together for years, and we thought basketball could be a tool for getting young people to come out and learn about politics. They got a chance to see a candidate for office in a setting where they feel comfortable."
Jeff has been coaching basketball for almost 14 years, so the idea for the basketball tournament came naturally to him. The St. Louis American featured an article in their Sports section last week on the 3 on 3 Tournament, emphasizing how it bridged a racial divide that has characterized St. Louis for many years. "St. Louis politics are traditonally seen through this tired prism of Northside vs. Southside, white vs. black. It doesn't have to be that way," said Jeff.
Jeff found a lot of time to make some moves on the court, exemplifying that candidates for public office can have some great game on and off the court. "Anybody who can take my crossover and still want to shake my hand afterwards--thats what I call sticking to the community," said Jay Sloan, whose team got first place.
Besides the action on the court, Pastor Llewellen and local political activist Fred Johnson helped fry catfish for spectators and participants. We went through 75 pounds of catfish in just a few hours. Ben and Jerry's generously gave us several pounds of ice cream, which also was consumed in a few hours during the intense humidity of St. Louis summer days.
Participants were encouraged to register to vote and were given information on getting the most from state and local government. The event featured booths providing instructions on enrolling in state-subsidized health care plans, free youth summer camps, and the Confluence Academies, a group of city schools Smith co-founded. Additionally, the Just Us Tennis Association, which promotes tennis among inner-city youth, provided lessons for the younger spectators.
"My campaign is about reaching out to those who have been ignored by the city's political establishment," Jeff said. "This event helped us connect with some who feel left out of the process."
posted by y19p84 @ 9:20 PM
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