DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks and Mavs Basketball Academy will host the inaugural 2019 Mavs Spring Shootout, a Jr. NBA Global Championship Regional Qualifier, from Friday, March 22 through Sunday, March 24that Dallas Sportsplex.
The Mavericks are just one of 13 NBA teams to put on a Jr. NBA-sanctioned local competition this year.
“The Mavericks have never hosted a tournament of this magnitude and it’s a really big deal to us,” said Brandon Barkley, director of youth sports for the Mavs Basketball Academy. “The NBA made a declaration last year that teams could start hosting regional qualifiers and we immediately jumped on board. We have NBA staff coming out to watch, the Atlanta Hawks youth basketball staff is attending and other notables from around the country.”
The Jr. NBA Global Championship is a youth basketball tournament for the top 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls from around the world. In its second year, the Jr. NBA Global Championships hosts local competitions, like the 2019 Mavs Spring Shootout, that allows teams to punch a ticket to Jr. NBA Regionals around the country.
The 2019 Mavs Spring Shootout has 48 boys and girls teams from grades 4ththrough 8thcompeting in the tournament. Winners in the 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls divisions earn an automatic bid to the Jr. NBA South Regional in Dallas from June 7ththrough June 9th at Drive Nation in Irving, Texas. The South Regional will represent teams from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas.
“It’s huge for these teams to have the support of the Dallas Mavericks, Mavs Basketball Academy and Jr. NBA,” Barkley said. “On top of that, USA Basketball is backing the Jr. NBA, so every team that participates in the 14-U, has USA Basketball licenses,” Bark So, I think it just encompasses a lot of great organizations and shows that we stand together and support the future of basketball and youth. We are really excited about it.”
Teams that win the South Regional will receive an all-expense paid trip to the Finals at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando this August.
“The NBA is trying to get more of a handprint on youth basketball because over the years we’ve seen a trend where youth basketball has become more about the parents, sponsorships, and corporations,” Barkley added. “The NBA and NBA teams are uniting with other top organizations like USA Basketball in hopes of returning the pureness of basketball to the game.”
It’s been a year of many firsts for the Dallas Mavericks Basketball Academy. Back in November, the organization hosted the inaugural Mavs Fall Classic boys and girls high school basketball tournament. In addition, the Mavs also hosted a girls and boys youth tournament for children in grades 4ththrough 8thduring the fall. The Mavs Basketball Academy also hosts year-around clinics and over 3,000 children and youth participate in Hoop Camp each summer.
For more on the 2019 Mavs Spring Shootout, click here: https://www.mavs.com/community/basketballacademy/springshootout/
ABOUT THE JR. NBA
The Jr. NBA is the official youth basketball participation program of the NBA. The Jr. NBA includes a free, membership-based program for existing youth basketball leagues/organizations. The membership is to help encourage and support youth basketball participation and improve the overall youth basketball experience. The Jr. NBA aims to develop a lifelong passion for the game of basketball in boys and girls by teaching them the fundamentals of the sport while instilling core values including teamwork, respect, and sportsmanship.
ABOUT THE MAVS BASKETBALL ACADEMY
The Mavs Basketball Academy brings the excitement of the NBA to your community and is the #1 source for professional basketball training for every skill level of the game. Our basketball training organization is dedicated to helping athletes achieve basketball related goals by utilizing cutting-edge training techniques and a distinctive coaching style that stresses physical improvement, mental growth, and leadership necessary for long-term development and success.
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