By Antonio R. Harvey | OBSERVER STAFF WRITER

The Salvation Army Ray Robinson Oak Park Community Center held its first "Banquet of Champions Youth Basketball Awards Program" recently.

Shown with Jerry Salley (far left) and Kristen Thomas (far right) are four youths who participated in the basketball league and received the Ralph Andersen Sportsmanship award. Photo (c) Observer / Larry V. Dalton

Designed for the boys and girls who competed in the year-round Salvation Army basketball program, the banquet was an opportunity for the Salvation Army youngsters to not only share in the awards but also to organize the well-attended event. The kids set up the tables, served the food, and broke down the chairs and table when the banquet ended.

"The kids did it all," said Jerry Salley, the Salvation Army director of Youth Services. "It was just like that new show "Kids Nation." Instead, we did the ‘Salvation Army Banquet Nation’ version."

Youth ages 15 and under participate in the basketball league that runs on a three-session cycle: spring, summer, and winter. Consisting of 16 teams titled after colleges and universities programs, each team member and their coaches were introduced at the banquet by emcee Bryan May, News 10 sports anchor.

The banquet’s keynote speaker was Robert "Rob" Archie, founder of Advanced Student Connection. Archie developed the ASC program with the assistance of Dr. Ralph Branch in order to meet the growing demand of youth that are in need of academic support and athletic training.

Archie has more than 10 years of experience in the field of social work, including case-load assignments, criminal justice cases, group homes, coaching and mentoring. Through his work with the ASC Basketball Academy and clinics, Archie has provided outreach to more than 500 youth in the Sacramento area.

Archie has also conducted basketball camps with professional basketball players such as Mike Bibby and Francisco Garcia. ASC continues to thrive as the region’s premiere college preparatory and athletic training program. Archie delivered an inspiring speech for the youth at the banquet.

"He talked about life in general and how to use basketball as a life tool in understanding teamwork," Salley said of Archie’s speech. "He said if you use it right (the tool) you don’t have to play pro basketball, but you can own a team. He was talking about the business aspect and the fact that you need an education to understand what’s going on."

Nearly 160 youth participate in the basketball league that is in operation on Friday nights and all day on Saturday. At the banquet, a slideshow presentation featured the essence of the basketball program that attracts youth from all parts of the city.

Youth ages 15 to 11 play on Friday nights for a specific reason, Salley said. "According to statistics, I realized that most kids that get in trouble get in trouble between 3 and 9 p.m.," Salley said. "So what I decided to do is have those kids playing basketball so their parents know where they are and where they can pick them up after the games."

The banquet had several sponsors including PG&E, University of California at Davis, and The OBSERVER. In addition, several boardmembers of the local Salvation Army’s Advisory Board Youth Committee made private donations between $300 and $500.

"For a first-time event, this worked out well," Salley said. "This is something we are definitely going to have every year. (Sacramento Kings guard) Quincy Douby attended the first banquet, so I’m working hard to get more professional ball players to come out next year. Each year this is going to get better and better."

The Salvation Army is accepting application for the next session that starts November 26. The fee is $100 (that covers the price of a uniform) per player. Cheerleading is also included in the program and more volunteer coaches are also welcomed.

For more information, call stop by the Ray Robinson Center at 2550 Alhambra Blvd. or call (916) 452-9388, ext. 3671.