New Valley Church is partnering with Waynesboro Parks and Recreation Department for the tournament.
New Valley Church is partnering with Waynesboro Parks and Recreation Department to offer a free 3-on-3 basketball tournament for area teens from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Rosenwald Community Center, 413 Port Republic Road, Waynesboro on July 26. .Ben Craft, student ministry leader at New Valley, believes the tournament is a tangible way to show the community that the church cares.
“As a church, we want to serve our community and connect with our community,” Craft said. “We don’t want to just be this isolated fixture. We want to be a people who love our community and want to build these traditions to let people know that we care for them.”
One way to do that is through athletics.
"As we were thinking through that — specifically this age range of 13- to 18-year-olds, oftentimes they are like a forgotten segment,” Craft said. “This community really loves basketball, so when you combine those, you get something like this. We want to connect with what they enjoy.”
It’s not the first time that the church has partnered with the city. On other occasions, New Valley has held movie nights in Ridgeview Park. Additionally, the church has partnered with the city for a huge Easter egg hunt, also at Ridgeview Park.
“The city has been gracious to partner with us, and the Lord has been gracious to give us those opportunities,” Craft said. “We’re just trying to say, ‘Hey, we’re here for the city.’ We want to love well. We want to serve the city. We want to put on these events that let people know we’re there, and let people know we’re trying to care for them.”
Each 3-on-3 team is allowed to build out a four-man roster. The tournament will start with pool play and then transition to single elimination to ensure teams get to play multiple games. The winner is determined by the team that reaches 15 points first, or the team that is winning at the end of the 12-minute contest.
It’s the church’s first time hosting a basketball tournament, and New Valley would love to turn it into an annual competition.
Although the actual games are designed for teens, the event is for everyone in the whole community.
“Anyone should come out,” Craft said of this year’s tournament. “The hoopers should come out for sure. If you can, come out and prove it if you’re in that age range. It’s a good thing for parents. It’s a good thing for younger kids. There’s going to be music. There’s going to be food. It will be a good community event. I think it’s just an opportunity for people to come together.”
For more information, contact New Valley Classic co-coordinator Calen Wilson at [email protected].
Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips are always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at [email protected] and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Free 3-on-3 teen basketball tournament set for Waynesboro
Category: General Sports
