Helping Through Hoops

By on December 31, 2014

 

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

The First Annual Bryant/ Baxter Charity 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament was held on Saturday and it was a rousing success. Put together by New Era Thinking owners Jason Bryant and Charles Vaughn, and  Jimmy Baxter with All Heart TC, the tournament was held to benefit foster families in Eckerd.org and intended to infuse positive energy into the community.  It was held at the Thomas “Jet” Jackson Recreation Center in the Wildwood area of Saint Petersburg.  To say this community center is great and multi-functional would be an understatement. It has everything that your kids could want in a sports/play area and it provides a positive environment that focuses on core values: Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Achievement, Teamwork and Self Discipline. The center provides all types of sporting fields/courts and also offers after school programs for the area’s youths. Every neighborhood could benefit from a community center like this.

 

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

 

The basketball tournament was a two-day event with the preliminary rounds taking place on Friday and the semi-finals and finals on Saturday. With the kids who will benefit from the proceeds generated from the tournament playing next to competitors; it was an event for all ages.  The kid’s smiles and excitement was palpable and some of the kids had unbelievable skills that will transfer to higher levels of game play in the future. You could really see how the Thomas Jackson Recreation Center has had a positive effect on the kids already.

 After multiple rounds of sixteen-minute game play, the finals winner would be decided differently; first to 12, with shots from beyond the arc counting as two.

 

Ray Perry makes a move with the dribble (Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

Ray Perry makes a move with the dribble (Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

Led by former Northeast High superstar Ray Perry, the Baxter Team dominated with Perry hitting shots from all over the floor despite having hands in his face the majority of the time. Perry’s teammates, Pete Baxter and Stefan Holmes, provided offensive and defensive sparks, and the trio dominated the finals with a score of 12-9. Team Clearwater hit some late deep two-point shots and made the score closer than what the game actually was. Overall, the tournament was an impressive display of talent and the Baxter Team earned a well deserved victory against well rounded competition, which included former area stars and European League players.

 

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

Based on this year’s success, and with the continued corporate sponsorship from companies like Hooters, and support from the community, I believe that the Annual Bryant/ Baxter Charity 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament will only continue to grow and become even more successful in the coming years.   In fact, New Era Thinking owners Jason Bryant and Charles Vaughn have already begun setting up for next year’s event.

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey - RSEN photo)

(Travis Failey – RSEN photo)

 

Categories: Basketball, Featured, Sports
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