What is the Pittsburgh Basketball Club ?
The Pittsburgh Basketball Club is a non-profit 501(c) organization that organizes, directs and promotes youth basketball throughout the tri-state area. Our organization is proud to have approximately 2500 student athletes participate in various curriculums through the summer months alone. An assortment of programs are offered throughout the “school year” months as well as the Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation periods.
Our goal is a very simple one. In this day and age when today’s youth have as many bad influences available to them as good ones, We want to insure that our communities youth have a well organized, exciting program to share with there coaches and peers to call there own. There is no better place for today’s youth to spend their summer months with their friends, under a coach’s supervision, in the neighborhood gym playing basketball.
The Pittsburgh Basketball Club has given young men of all ages the opportunity to make new friends from various comminutes as well as strengthen existing relationships with friends and coaches in a supervised forum. Sports teaches lessons, builds confidence, and begins friendships which a young man can maintain for a lifetime
The History
The Pittsburgh Basketball Club was founded by and solely owned and operated by John Giammarco. As an assistant basketball coach at Sto-Rox High School, John found the need to develop a summer program to insure that the young talent in the program maintained the discipline that they developed in school while participating on the basketball team throughout the summer months. Originally founded in 1994, 8 teams participated in the 1st league. Soon, other schools and communities seeking to maintain the same discipline for their players wanted to participate in the program.
By the year 2000, seven additional sites and three additional age groups were added to the program. What started as just 8 teams has now grown to close to 90 teams. The sites were dispersed throughout Western Pennsylvania to insure that the leagues and tournaments were held within general proximity of virtually every school and players community.
Currently, the Pittsburgh Basketball Club is one of the regions most highly respected programs and is considered one of the largest youth basketball programs in the United States with input in both regional and national programming for our area’s youth of all ages.
In addition to the many local programs, the Pittsburgh Basketball Club is an ardent supporter of basketball related charitable causes such as Coaches vs. Cancer and the American Heart Association.
The Future?
More teams than ever wish to participate in Pittsburgh Basketball Club sponsored programs. With the addition of 5th grade and 6th grade curriculums, all age levels now have programs to call there own. It is our hope to not only maintain the strength of our programs for our 9th grade through 12th grade curriculums, but to improve them even more. With the addition of programs for all ages, a tradition is started in our town that will not only equal, but also surpass many other large cities that also host sports leagues for its youth.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PITTSBURGH BASKETBALL CLUB IN OUR COMMUNITY.
The Pittsburgh Basketball Club is dedicated to improving the lives of children through the use of athletics and recreation in a local, regional and national setting.
Participation in the great sport of basketball at the grade school, Junior High and High School levels can be a catalyst for academic achievement and can help carry the student successfully to academic success both in school and after graduation. Participation in team sports teaches teamwork, responsibility and dedication as well as developing both self-esteem and self-confidence.
Today’s youth face innumerable challenges, especially in the inner city. Regardless of gender, race or background young people continually face challenges without the necessary support and guidance they need to overcome them.
In a recent study, The Institute for Youth, Education and Families and National League of Cities performed a study entitled “The After-school Hours, A New Focus for America’s Cities.” In this study, they note that during a typical week, as many as 14 million children and youth across the United States lack adult supervision during non-school hours.
According to numerous studies conducted by several federal agencies as well as the FBI, the lack of structured and supervised after-school programs in American communities contributes to a higher incidence of drug and alcohol use and delinquent or criminal behaviors.
The Pittsburgh Basketball Club programs strive to provide young people of all ages and at all levels with the tools they need to successfully handle life’s obstacles. Characteristics like self-esteem, leadership, teamwork and communication are essential in the development of today’s youth. Our leagues, camps and tournaments aim to instill these traits in every participant and, at the same time, teach young people the value and importance of community service and community building.
The Pittsburgh Basketball Club uses team sports as a basis for our programs because sports and recreational activities are inherently exciting and fun ways for young people to learn many life skills. Participation in sports also helps keep young people motivated and focused on schoolwork. It is our goal for the participants of the Pittsburgh Basketball Club to develop young men and women that every one of us can be proud of both on the court and off.
