Annual Trinity Lowden UCAN Basketball Classic
This project's parent organization is UCAN
It operates in United States
It uses Basketball
More about Annual Trinity Lowden UCAN Basketball Classic
Lowden Homes is a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) housing development on Chicago’s south side; residents here face gang violence, drugs and poverty daily. Resources to combat these issues are constrained, and one area which suffers as a result is that of youth recreation. Lowden has only one basketball court for all 127 units to use, and although a public park is located nearby, many youth are afraid to use it for fear of gang violence.
The annual Trinity Lowden UCAN Youth Basketball Classic uses sport not only to address this lack of recreational options, but also as a mechanism to help prevent violence. Recreation has been proven to provide not only physical but also mental health benefits, including building self-esteem and confidence. Many disadvantaged youth suffer from low levels of self-esteem, which is critical for youth empowerment. Recreation also has many social benefits which contribute to violence prevention.
These include bringing neighbors together and strengthening community relations, promoting collaboration and teamwork, and deterring negative behaviors through the provision of stimulating and safe activities. Finally, this event is utilized as a bridge to enable further dialogue around topics such as youth mentoring, free legal seminars, community fellowship and conflict resolution.