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Sports

“Books, ball and unity” is the motto of the latest New Yorkers of the Week, a father-son coaching team in Harlem that uses basketball to teach kids about more than just the game. NY1′s Michael Scotto filed the following report.

Willie Kelly III and his father, Willie Kelly II, started the Hoops By The River organization in East Harlem last summer. Since then, they have sponsored the Harlem Jazz basketball team, which consists of 36 city children. In the summer, the kids play by the river at Thomas Jefferson Park, and during the winter they play at the Union Settlement Association. The space and court time are donated.

“We just want to keep the community together and the community safe and keep a lot of kids off of the street,” says Willie Kelly III. Continue reading →