Doin’ It in the Park Documentary

#every1watch review from the every1plays.org web Archive going back to April 18, 2015.

#every1watch
Doin’ It in the Park
@DOINITINTHEPARK Documentary
by @koolboblove & @AsfaltCronicles

Last weekend I scrolled through the Roku Netflix looking for an afternoon flick for Queen Luz, my youngest brother, and me.  In “My List” I got a catalog of flicks I’ve saved over the years for whenever time opens up.  Now that I can access Netflix on my phone app I’m constantly adding flicks, sometimes catching one during the lunch hour… I’m a big documentary fan, and with Netflix, I’m constantly adding em’ in.  As I watch one, another four or five will pop up that I’ve never heard of before.  Needless to say, “My List” will probably outlive me as there are just too many movies I want to see.  Just now, I remembered that I’m also signed up to receive the DVDs.  I forgot the package was in between a set of books… in it another documentary… the Thrilla in Manila flick.  If you’re into sports, Netflix is where it’s at.  An educational archive of tons of cinema.

So last weekend, a few members of my family and I decided to finally lock into a documentary I’ve been wanting to watch since learning about it two years ago…Doin’ It In the Park.

This is one of the best basketball and overall documentary films I’ve ever seen.  It’s an incredible document into New York’s basketball culture and a reflection piece for anybody that spent a lot of time outside playing hoop.  Going on walks with my mother I rarely see it as much in my neighborhood anymore.  Hearing a ball bounce when I was a kid was like our door bell ring to come out and play.  Most of us had a court on our front drive way or a portable set up curb side underneath the street light.  Earlier this week, I walked by houses with courts that looked like they hadn’t been shot at in years.  A lot of drive way courts and streets with no bodies.

I loved everything about the film, especially the cinematography and the incredible collage of photographs throughout.  And with Bobbito, the soundtrack is 100% guaranteed to be dope.  I enjoyed every minute, every image, every sound of this film and highly recommend for every1.

I especially encourage local libraries to carry this film.   Would make for a great screening at a City Parks & Rec, maybe to encourage a dialogue about black tops in the city… open up opportunities for youth leagues to have more access, especially on school grounds if possible.  This is where a majority of our courts can be found in the city… Great spaces for hosting practices, weekend tournaments for youth or adult leagues during the summer or for after school activity during the school year.

One of my favorite parts of the film is the break down on 21!  That was the game right there.

For more information on the film, please visit doinitinthepark.com

You can also add them on Facebook at facebook.com/doinitinthepark

And they’re also on Twitter… twitter.com/DOINITINTHEPARK

Other links to the filmmakers are included in the subject line of this post.

Support the film, request at your library/store, purchase from the website or as a gift for an athlete, for your coach, a team… also pass the word on the Netflix link and watch it today!

every1watch Doin’ It In the Park.

-BB.Lee

Orange & White

Orange and White Scrimmage 2017
#e1photography

Hoop Clips Pt. 1

A big fan of my brothers when they hit the court. This one is one out the archive. I'm reminded of all the footage I need to go through and share. Look forward to the Winter holidays to dig into my files for some more Hoop Clips of the RBros!

Hoop Clips Pt. 1 feat. Joshua Rhyanes click here

Tonight we premiered Hoop Clips Pt. 1 with the family of Joshua’s time out in the city for the local men’s leagues.  Had a great time editing the clips as its been a minute since I’ve put together a highlight tape.  Found the beats which we included in the credits at the end.  Hope ya’ll enjoy as much as we did.  We enjoy watching Josh play his game and we look forward to the next series of tapes of some clips we pulled from Isaiah’s time on the court with the Golden Eagles these past few years and also E-Man who’s on the come up himself.

If you can’t view the video embedded above, here is the direct link click here.

We’ve also got several other videos including Joshua’s AHS highlights tape of his time in high school at Andress and some clips from Barrio basketball out here in El Paso present day.  You can view them at the channel link above.

BB.Lee

The Scar by Jeff Green

Read this! The Scar by Jeff Green click here

Got a lot of great basketball memories of Jeff Green’s come back. Despite the changes the Celtics experienced at the time, Jeff Green was out there playing to win and competing to defeat all odds.  So many highlights where I was getting way hype for the Iron Man.  He took full advantage of the blessing he had to hit the court again and I can’t wait to continue watching Green compete in the East with the King and company.

He’ll always be the NBA’s Iron Man and is one of my all time favorite Celtics. So many lessons to take away from this reflection published in the Player’s Tribune.

No doubt!

#CoachLee

What is the Jr. #NBA Way?

Featured Link: jr.nba.com @jrNBA 

#e1plinks #every1plays
What is the Jr. #NBA Way?

Our latest featured link will direct visitors to the jr.nba.com.  What is the Jr. NBA?  The Jr. NBA is the official youth basketball participation program of the NBA.  I’ve been visiting this website since last year checking out its resources on Twitter…at times retweeting inspiring quotes and watching NBA coaches talk about the core values of the Jr. NBA.

Everything about our love for basketball revolved around the NBA as kids.  Back when kids wasted allowance money collecting basketball trading cards, I probably knew the full names and statistics of basketball rosters by memory better then I knew the names and details of some of my own extended family members…and we’re talking about the megabyte sized memory of a 10 year old kid. To a child, the NBA has an overwhelming influence on how kids view future goals (“when I grow up I want to play for the NBA!!!”) and how kids socialize and connect with the greater community.  Whether you were playing with a summer league that referred to themselves by an NBA team name like the Lakers or Magic or were outside as a kid trying to debate who you thought was the best NBA basketball player in the world…for kids who love basketball, the NBA captivated our imagination while we were awake and wandered into our dreams while we slept.

As the 20th century came to a close (1990s) technology took the game beyond just a picture and a few stats on a trading card. Technology brought children closer to hoop through video games, increased broadcasts on TV, and news channels like ESPN or NBA Inside Stuff. Even magazines began to blend ink with the emerging Hip Hop culture that played the soundtrack to our adolescent years…it inspired the style on our feet creating a sneaker con$umer culture…inspired how we wore hats and the kinds of $tarter jackets we wished for during winter…til’ this day kids year round are walking adverti$ements for the NBA…short$, sock$, jersey$, bed sheet$, towel$…you name it the NBA sell$ it.

As we thought about the mission of #every1plays at the beginning and the kind of values we wanted to promote to kids and parents, the goal was to think about an approach that went beyond the superficial stuff. An approach I wanted to articulate in writing and document. My hope was to create a mission that would describe the core values of a team with greater purpose than simply winning or reducing one’s hoop dream to the wishful thinking that we could coach kids towards becoming a future lottery pick.  I thought about the teachable moments that exist in basketball that often get lost in the translation of competitive sports culture.  A culture funded by the bottom dollar politics of an entertainment mill that divests from children and community. The kind of culture that creates microcosms in communities where families simply can’t afford to get their kids involved in organized competitive sports or the “only the best” mentality of school sports.  And while we may see a glimpse of the NBA’s connection to community after a commercial about car insurance, a KIA, alcohol, or McDonalds…whether or not anything real exists for the future gets lost in the commercialized hype of being sold something.

Discovering the depth of the Jr. NBA and their philosophy and core character values helped me reflect on #every1plays…to encourage us to read on I decided to highlight this resource as a featured link. The site presents values that stress coaching as teaching and mentions what development can mean when we focus on a more positive, encouraging, and fun approach to what we do.  Values that explore what hard work means as it relates to positive outcomes that may go beyond the court and extend to life at home, school and in the community. Values that help us understand and reflect on what respect can mean, especially for adults who are in a position to facilitate these conversations with kids.  The site also notes how we think about the concept of fairness, not as a means to stifle competition, but in how we recognize and respond to a child’s skill set and how we support, encourage and challenge children to be resilient and if necessary help redefine their understanding of failure.  Most importantly, and I’ll quote directly from the site, I respect their emphasis on healthy living…“exercising regularly benefits both mind and body – leading to better health outcomes, greater energy levels, and enhanced classroom performance.”

As we continue to imagine #every1plays in the context of a more organized initiative, I look forward to referencing the Jr. NBA’s site for information.  We’re still understanding what this concept of #every1plays can be about in our own community.  Please do check out the Jr. NBA at jr.nba.com and follow on Twitter @jrNBA and Like at Facebook.com/jrNBA.

#CoachLee

#HoopDreams 1st Half 2017

School is out and the summer is here!

Its been an eventful 1st half to 2017…everything from the name change of our #USAB squad…the start of the year with the #3v3 #every1plays Winter League…new #HoopDreams jerseys…our first attempt at sponsorship…new players on the roster…opportunities & new responsibilities on and off the court for the coaches…involvement from parents who helped us find new spaces to practice…the ups and downs of losing, getting better, winning, and losing again in the city league…and all the ideas we have to merge basketball & education for youth in the city and inform ourselves & others about resources that are out there.

There’s a lot to be grateful for…a lot to plan in the future and much more to document when time allows.  We’re most grateful this year for all the young people on the squad that showed up to play til’ the end.  As we get ready to transition into the summer months, we look forward for those moments when we can reflect again and share our thoughts.  We look forward to continuing to brainstorm and contribute ideas for how to open up more opportunities for kids to play and learn from not only the game of hoop, but the values of the game and other life lessons.

We wish everyone a wonderful summer…make it one worth reflecting back on when the Fall arrives!

#CoachLee

#WAB 2015

A note from the every1plays.org web Archive going back to March 3, 2015.

It’s going down, Andress vs. Bel Air … Many of the #WAB seniors grew up together playing ball in the Sun City… In middle school they all would compete against each other… from H.E. Charles, Basset, Terrace Hills to the champions at Nolan Richardson Middle. I got photographs of them all during this time. Win or lose, this will be their LAST game together as #WAB in El Paso … If they get the W it’s on to Snyder and the sweet sixteen this weekend.  As a family we’ll be turning the page on close to two decades at Andress High School, class of 99′, 08′, and 15′ for our youngest brother, Isaiah.

Much respect to everyone out on that court tonight from the players to coaches for bringing this to the city.  What’s even greater is the stories that will follow from such a talented group, on both the Andress and Bel Air side.

We’ll continue to share photographs, videos, and other clips that we’ve captured over the years here at the every1plays.org website.  It’s also time to check for the ones coming up.  From JV all the way down to the youth leagues throughout the city both boys and girls.  Til’ the next great game, thank you to the #WAB seniors for the memorable moments in b-ball out here.  We’ll be talking about y’all for years to come.

All best to the Andress & Bel Air.  Time to go.