Late-night basketball league for young people starting in Macon

A basketball league aimed at providing young people with resources to improve their education and life skills is nearly set to start in Macon early next year.

Details are being finalized for the Operation Cease Fire Midnight Basketball League that would have a pilot program at the Bloomfield Recreation Center, 4115 Lions Place. The league's first season would target teens and young adults in southwest Macon where crime is a serious problem, said Macon-Bibb County Commissioner Virgil Watkins, who is spearheading the effort.

Eventually, the goal is to expand the league to other sections of Macon, said Watkins, who took part in a similar league in Macon in the early 2000s.

Watkins said he'd like to see businesses sponsor teams and have leagues play throughout the year.

"We think it's a reasonable alternative to being in the streets late at night," he said. "The common theme I hear is there is not a lot of alternative activities to do that time of the evening. This is a tested method that's considered a way to engage our citizens in a positive enrichment program."

The Bloomfield league would have about six teams with eight to 15 players per team. Activities would begin on weekends about 8:30 p.m. with mandatory educational and career workshops followed by several games, Watkins said.

Watkins said he's reaching out to the Middle Georgia Regional Commission's workforce development program to provide support for career development and GED programs. He's also looking to partner with Operation HOPE, a financial literacy initiative, that is expected to open an office in Macon in January.

The league also would invite community leaders to speak about issues affecting young people, and data would be kept to see what progress participants make. The Macon-Bibb County Commission has approved $25,000 for the pilot program that will pay for staffing, security, referees and more.

"The midnight basketball is the trigger that gets them there, but the enrichment component is what we want to make sure they're engaged in," said Reggie Moore, director of the Macon-Bibb County Recreation Department.

Workforce development is willing to provide access to resources that many people aren't aware is available to them, said Sheknita Davis, director of workforce development for the Regional Commission.

"We would make sure we're able to be ... available to help individuals address where their current skill are and get them on the right path to start a career in Middle Georgia," she said.

Moore and Watkins said they witnessed the positive impact the league can have when it was in Macon from 2002 until 2004. At that time, the league was funded by a federal grant and was led by the Macon Police Department.

"Overall, you see different people say if it's done right, midnight basketball can be a positive piece for your community," Moore said. "The key to it is the organization, establishing goals and meeting them."

To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623 or find him on Twitter@stan_telegraph.

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Late-night basketball league for young people starting in Macon ."