Youth and Family Services Brings Community Together With 1st Annual Basketball Tournament

Last weekend’s Youth and Family Services First Annual 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament was much more than a sports event, it was a true community gathering.

Held May 19 at with word of the event spreading solely through word of mouth, the tournament managed to draw 60 participants, many of whom registered the day of the event after seeing a crowd gathering, said John Cabrera, the lead outreach worker for Union City’s Youth and Family Services.

The ages of the participants ranged from 12 to 24, according to Cabrera. The tournament included double elimination rounds so that every team played twice.

“We had a good time,” he said. “We had a lot of crowd participation.”

Not only did the event feature action-packed matches, it also included a number of live performances, a jumper for children and free food for attendees.

The acclaimed Mighty4 Arts Foundation held a breakdancing demonstration, a singer from Studio92 gave a live performance, Meeshell Campbell from Brown Temple Church delivered spoken word and the Golden State Warriors’ Junior Jam Squad stunned the crowd with their high-energy dance moves.

But the event wouldn’t have happened without the support of the community, Cabrera said.

According to Cabrera, the donated $500 for the event, with donating additional funds and sponsoring referees for the tournament. also provided jerseys, which made the youth feel as if they were in the pros, Cabrera said.

One of the biggest contributors was local teenager Jeazelle Marquez, who raised $200 for the event herself by going door-to-door to solicit donations.

“That was just amazing,” Cabrera said. “It came in real handy. We almost didn’t have enough money to kick this thing off.”

Thanks to the funds donated for the event, Youth and Family Services was able to award cash and gift certificate prizes for winners. The first place team received $140 cash, with second and third places winning $85 and $50 respectively.

More than just a sports event, the tournament marked a more publicized presence of the city’s street outreach team.

According to Youth and Family Services staff, the event aimed to promote the organization’s programs on the west side of Union City.

Union City Youth and Family Services offer programs in youth violence prevention, counseling, employment preparation, parenting support, and more.

Part of the city’s Youth Violence Prevention and Intervention Program, the street outreach program consists of a small team of three outreach workers — Darl Michael, Jasmine Valentine and Cabrera — who engage with youth that are believed to be involved in gangs and criminal activity.

Instead of waiting for youth to come to them, they bring services to the youth directly by approaching them in their communities, at school and at events to offer alternatives to street life. Outreach workers then refer youth for additional services, including counseling, education and job training.

The program has made strides in Decoto, where outreach workers and other Youth and Family Services staff run a successful .

The tournament was the first of its kind hosted by Union City Youth and Family Services and will be an annual event, organizers said.

“The whole day was off the hook,” Cabrera said. “There were a lot of really good games.”

Youth and Family Services is planning more community events, Cabrera said.

The street outreach team plans to hold another event with the Mighty4 Foundation on June 30 at Old Alvarado Park. The event will feature live music, street artists and more and will kick off immediately following the Farmers Market.