ABA TO LAUNCH YOUTH, EDUCATION AND SPORTS INITIATIVE

Indianapolis, IN. 

The American Basketball Association (ABA) today announced that it will be launching a new youth, education and sports initiative in partnership with Utah-based Sports World Summit LLC.  “The program will be known as YES,” stated ABA CEO Joe Newman. “Working with major corporations and local businesses, colleges, proprietary and vocational schools, government agencies, military services, first responders, community organizations and service clubs of all types, YES will introduce local youth sports teams to many different career and educational options with coaches taking them to visit different locations for a one-hour tour and presentation.”

“Sports play a very important role in the lives of our youth,” added Paula Gephart, YES CEO. “In addition to all of the great things coaches provide young athletes as relates to health and nutrition, conditioning, competition, skills, team play and sportsmanship, the coaches can also expose their teams to so much more through the YES program.  This is very important as it is unlikely that most young athletes will make a career of sports.”

Tyler Gephart will serve as YES Executive Director and will be responsible for bringing together the three participating groups – corporations and companies, community organizations and youth groups and will work closely with ABA teams nationwide to execute the program on a local level. “Kids can learn how to dribble a basketball or how to hit a baseball or make a tackle,” stated Gephart, “but how often do they get a chance to see how a restaurant operates or the back end of a law firm or hospital or what a Realtor does or what it takes to be a firefighter or law enforcement officer or to serve in the US Armed Forces.  Or what a plumber or heating/air conditioing career looks like or a truck driver or car dealer or a career in computer science or politics.  With the YES program, all of these things can become part of their sports team experience.  We believe YES could be a life changing experience for young people.”

Sports World Summit LLC is an organzation founded to develop youth and adults through sports. The goal is to build people up, to help them learn life skills as team members, team players and productive citizens in society. Brian Gephart will serve as Executive Board Advisor of YES.  He has over 25 years of technical recruiting, sales, solutions and management experience and has coached at the high school and AAU levels.

Paul Gephart has been at Novell/Micro Focus for 30 years as a technology expert and has worked with major corporations and governments on every continent.

The American Basketball Association (ABA) is the largest professional basketball league in the US with over 175 teams and also the most diversifed with 75% of its owners being African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and women.  For more information about YES and how your company, community organization, not-for-profit, or youth organization can participate, contact Tyler Gephart at [email protected], call 385 775 1446 or visit www.abaliveaction.com.

Thanks. Be careful. Be safe all.

Joe Newman

ABA CEO