The Mamba League empowers kids through
basketball fundamentals
To give young athletes in Los Angeles an opportunity to
understand the game as he learned it, Kobe Bryant created the Mamba
League, a youth basketball program rooted in personal insights with
the goal of empowering girls and boys ages 8-10 on the court and in
life.
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Kobe Bryant and Nike Inspire Kids in Los
Angeles to Get Moving (Photo: Business Wire)
“I’m really excited about building this league with my Nike
family. Our line for the league is ‘play, learn, and grow.’ This is
really important to me, and reflects what I want to share with the
kids about my own journey—that through playing the game of
basketball I learned not just about the game, but about myself and
others, and through that process you grow, as an athlete and as a
person,” Bryant said about his passion for creating the league.
The Mamba League began in February and is reaching underserved
youth across East and West Los Angeles who love the game but may
not have had an opportunity to play it. The League focuses on
helping players truly understand the fundamentals of the game while
increasing their overall self-confidence and fueling their
potential.
“The Mamba League is a fun league for kids to learn the game,
have fun and understand the connection that the game has with life
in general—hopefully learning some of the work ethic it takes to
become a better basketball player and convert that into a being
better son, a better daughter and a better student,” said
Bryant.
Designed in partnership with Nike and the Boys and Girls Club in
Los Angeles—the league kicked off registration on Feb. 1, inviting
kids from four main neighborhoods with under-served communities in
the greater Los Angeles area—Nickerson Gardens, Whittier, West San
Gabriel Valley/Monterey Park and Venice—to join the experience.
The Mamba League is comprised of 40 coaches who are volunteers
from Nike stores in the Los Angeles area and Boys and Girls Club
staff, and 288 players. Coaches participated in a comprehensive
training clinic that was equal parts game fundamentals as well as
social-emotional training to make sure every player has a positive
experience. To align with the league’s encouragement of young girls
to participate, it brings on female coaches to lead its girls-only
teams.
“I’m usually the only girl playing with all the boys...so I got
excited to play with other girls,” said Noelle Romero, 8, of the
Lil Cheetahs, who defeated the Lil Swooshes at a game in March.
“The more that we play, the more that we get to learn different
type of skills, not just in basketball, but that could help us with
other things.”
By the end of the Mamba League, all players were inspired by
teamwork and exposed to a new passion for the sport–including the
young girls who made up 45 percent of participants.
“Sport is a way where kids can find not only an escape, but a
potential future,” said Mamba League Coach Ashley Indick. “The
Mamba League is a good platform to expose them to that.”
On April 15, the Mamba League will celebrate the end of its
first eight-week season with a basketball tournament challenge,
where one girls’ team and one boys’ team will go home with a
victory, but all of the players will leave the inaugural year of
the league as winners.
Kobe will continue to work with Nike to expand the Mamba League
to more sites in early 2018 based on learnings from the first year
and feedback from the community.
Learn more about why Kobe wanted to start the league and how his
insights about learning the fundamentals of basketball are changing
the game for coaches and kids (8-10) across four LA
neighborhoods.
About Nike Global Community Impact
Nike believes in the power of sport to move the world and
unleash human potential. However, the world is moving less and
less, and today's generation of children is the least
physically active ever. That’s why Nike works to
get kids active early and for life, because active kids
are happier, healthier and more successful. Together with its
employees, partners, consumers and athletes, Nike
also supports important causes that strengthen communities across
the globe. Learn more.
About NIKE, Inc.
NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Ore., is the world's leading
designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear,
apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and
fitness activities. Wholly-owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiary brands
include Converse, which designs, markets and distributes athletic
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NIKE, Inc.Grace Chang, 310-736-3781
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