Recreation All-Stars hit Philly - Rec Room - Brief Article

Parks & Recreation, April, 2002 by John Kelly

In early February, the city of Philadelphia welcomed the National Basketball Association's top players for the league's showcase event, NBA All-Star 2002. The weekend featured a host of events, activities and, of course, basketball. The world of youth basketball was also celebrated, as the best of the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA took center stage, right beside their older counterparts.

Two athletes who play at National Recreation and Parks Association member facilities were named to the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA National All-Star Team and were honored guests of the National Basketball Association during All-Star Weekend. Los Angeles native Oscar Bellfield, 12, attended All-Star representing the Los Angeles Clippers, while Houston resident Ausha Hartley, 12, represented the Houston Rockets/Comets. They were among a group of five boys and five girls the NBA brought to Philadelphia to take part in a number of NBA All-Star 2002 festivities.

While in Philadelphia, the team met with NBA and WNBA stars and legends and played an exhibition game during halftime of The "got milk?" Rookie Challenge game. They were also introduced to the crowd during All-Star Saturday Night, toured the city's historic sites and attended the 2002 All-Star Game. Oscar and Ausha represented the more than 350,000 boys and girls in the United States and abroad who are Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA league members. There are nearly 250 NRPA agencies nationally enrolled as Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA league members.

"Oscar and Ausha are great kids and great athletes and it was a pleasure to have them take part in our All-Star festivities this year," said Chris Weiller, Senior Director of the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA. "The members of the National All-Star Team were selected for their performance both on-and off-the court and Oscar and Ausha are fitting ambassadors for the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA program, which reaches hundreds of thousands of boys and girls, parents and coaches."

A highlight of the weekend was playing the exhibition game during halftime of the Rookie Challenge at Philadelphia's First Union Center before a crowd of nearly 20,000 cheering fans. The two co-ed teams were coached by All-Stars Ray Allen of the Milwaukee Bucks and Tina Thompson of the Houston Comets.

"I wasn't nervous about the game; I was just really excited," said Oscar Bellfield, who plays for the Hornets team in the Pan Pacific Recreation Complex Youth Basketball League in Los Angeles. "My special coach was WNBA All-Star Tina Thompson. She told us to work hard and have fun and that's what we did. We ended up losing by a point, but I had a lot of fun. Even though my team lost, I had fun playing in front of all of those people. It felt different playing in an arena but it wasn't my first time. I once played at the Staples Center for my AAU traveling team."

A sixth grade student at Los Angeles's Westchester Neighborhood School, Oscar led his team to a league championship last year, averaging 23.5 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists a game. "Oscar is a great individual on-and off-the court," said Jerry Chambers, Recreational Coordinator at the Pan Pacific Recreation Complex. "He is a wonderful person with excellent character for someone his age. He is an MVP, a tremendous athlete, a good student, and a nice kid."

A guard for the Fonde Stars/Houstonians team in the Houston Parks & Recreation League, Ausha Hartley is a seventh grade student at Paul Revere Middle School. Last year she led her team to a 4-0 record, averaging eight points, six rebounds and eight assists a game.

"To get to do this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that most kids will never get a change to do," Ausha said of the All-Star experience. "It's been a lot of fun and I've had a great time." Ausha is also a strong believer of giving back to her community by participating in community service efforts. She participates in clothing, school supplies and food drives, along with cleaning up her neighborhood.

"Ausha has proven to be a true leader on-and off-the court," said Sonya Watkins Ellis, Houston Parks & Recreation League Director. "She sets the momentum of the game by demonstrating her hustle and determination. She is always in control regardless if things are going her way or not. While remaining on the honor roll, and playing both basketball and volleyball, Ausha leaves an extensive practice from school and comes directly to her practice with our league."

To make it to NBA All-Stars in Philadelphia, the pair faced stiff national competition from boys and girls from thousands of parks and recreation leagues, as well as other youth recreational basketball programs across the country. Earlier this year, each of the nation's 35,000 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA member league directors had the opportunity to name one boy and one girl in their programs, ages 11 and 12, as a Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA League All-Star. Through submission of a league director nomination form, each League All-Star was then nominated for Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA Regional All-Star consideration. An independent selection committee made up of youth basketball administrators, NBA and WNBA team executives, officials from the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and representatives from Gatorade and Nike then selected a group of 130 Regional All-Stars.