Midnight Basketball

Programs that provide an opportunity for high risk youth and young adults to meet in a supervised, safe environment during "high crime" evening and late night hours to play basketball and participate in mandatory pre-game educational workshops conducted by community organizations and agencies, e.g., Healthy Start programs, Private Industry Councils, the Urban League, county health agencies, the state employment development department, community colleges and others. The workshops address a wide variety of lifestyle issues such as job interview skills, financial management, AIDS awareness and screening, substance abuse prevention, interpersonal relationship skills, conflict resolution, prenatal care, financial management, entrepreneurial opportunities and cultural exposure. The objective of the program is to prevent high risk behavior, reduce the incidence of local crime and give participants an opportunity to engage in competitive play.