On April 12, I had the opportunity to cover the 3rd Annual YRU All-Star Experience. This event took place at St.Marcellinus S.S. in the Mississauga area. The event displayed the top boys and girl's freshman and sophomore prospect, day 1 started off with a special presentation brought to you by YRU. The presentation was aided to support the selected student-athletes and parents with imperative information pertaining to NCAA eligibility, SAT prep tips, and student-athlete development. YRU brought in 4 guest speakers who had the chance to interact with their Student-Athletes to shed some light on these defining topics.

The first speaker was Joe Corapi, a former Penn State athlete and current SAT Math tutor. Joe aims to put kids in the best possible shape for the SAT, for those who may be unaware of that, it's a required test student-athletes must take in order to qualify for an NCAA scholarship. Joe broke down some criteria of the SAT and gave some insight on the expectations of the test. Joe's Student-Athlete experience has shaped the way he teaches in today's time and he uses his unique knowledge to contribute to the future crop of Student-Athletes.

Photo By: Charlie Lindsay (@doncharleone)

“It’s very important to get all your 16 core courses done to put you in good shape to write a SAT/ACT test.”

— Joe Corapi

Secondly, we had a Lawyer by the name of T.J. Gogna share his knowledge on financial security and investments. T.J. has gained several experiences working within the sports and entertainment field. Through his experiences he witnessed various professional athletes lose their earnings due to poor financial decisions. He strives to share to education our student-athletes to make great financial decisions , and to investment a percentage of their earnings. He encourages student-athletes to keep their circle small, limit their expenses, and keep great influences around.

“ How much of you guy’s want to be broke by 40?”

— - T.J. Gogna

Our third speaker was a former Big 10 competitor Micaella Riche, she looked to share her insights on building effective habits to become a successful student-athlete. She stressed the importance of holistic development, which is an integral part of her athletic development. Micaella is a National Women's scout for North-pole Hoops ( NPH), she just completed her first professional basketball season in Greece. Micaella had an illustrious collegiate career that started at the University of Minnesota, where she played basketball for 4 years. She was fortunate enough to receive an athletic scholarship that got her to complete a bachelors degree in Kinesiology. After the completion of her undergraduate studies, Micaella obtained an academic scholarship to pursue a master's degree at Kansas State University. During her time at Kansas State Micaella was a graduate assistant where she coached the women's team for 3 years. Micaella epitomizes the i "Student-Athlete", she utilized the opportunity granted through sports to get a solid education at little to no cost. It's good to see her give back to the younger female prospects coming up.

“Preparation was my confidence, when I was in the gym working on that shot I know that I put the work in.”

— Micaella RIche

Last but not least, we had TDSB Educator and entrepreneur Jason Faulkner.Jason has a defining story that was quite inspiring to the youth; he started playing basketball in the neighbourhood from a young age. He attended Martingrove C.I. where he was fortunate enough to receive some NCAA Division I offers; however Jason challenge was passing the SAT. In the face of adversity Jason continued to persevere which is a test of his character. After his shortcomings on the SAT, Jason ended up passing the ACT. Opportunity came knocking for Jason at the right time, which resulted him to sign to Bradley University, he played 4 years and completed his undergraduate studies. Upon his teaching career Jason launched the "Spread Love" clothing line, his purpose with solely upon giving back to the community. During the completion of teacher's college he decided to start his teaching career. Over his athletic tenure Jason learned valuable life lessons that he looks to instil in the youth. It is no secret that Jason has made his mark thus far, he attributes his success to the by-product of his work ethic.

“ In 2014 I decided that I wanted to start a brand to spread out a positive message.”

— Jason Faulkner

In conclusion to our special presentation, The President and Co-Founder of YRU had some words of wisdom that they wanted to share with their Student-Athletes, it's a sight to see so much positive energy filled within an environment, which had a profound impact on the audience.

“We decided to make it a priority for us to help uplift the youth in our community.”

— Clive Williams (YRU CFO)

“Being consistent in everything we do is better than being occasionally great”

— Antwi Atuahene (YRU President)

Day 2 of the 3rd Annual YRU All-Star Experience kicked off with a skill clinic. The Camp participants filled the gym with tenacity, discipline, and hard work. All participants completed several fundamental based drills, which included: ball handling, conditioning, shooting, and passing. The clinic concluded with 5 on 5 scrimmages. Thanks to all the kids who decided to join a good environment to get better. Everything that was taught in this camp the kids can work on in the company of their on gym.

“We are here for you guys to get better, but it’s up to you guys to put the effort in and work hard”

— Antwi Atuahene

The 1st game of the YRU All-Star Experience was the girls Freshman/Sophomore showcase game. Team Black led by Shayeann Day squared off against Aaliyah Edwards & Team Red. The players definitely set the tone for the audience, the crowd applauded both teams efforts as they competed ferociously. Team Red got out to a great start fueled by their strong defensive efforts, but with the help from Shayeaan and her stellar scoring performance brought Team Black back within reach. After a hard fought second half it was the dominance of Aaliyah Edwards who stole the show and guided her team to a 73-59 victory. Aaliyah poured in 22 points and was named the game's MVP. Shayeann Day also received MVP honours with a game-high 27 points, Team Red took game 1 of the YRU All-Star Experience.

The last game of the night was the boy’s Freshman/Sophomore game, #1 prospect Elijah Fisher and his squad looked to make a statement. Team Red got off to a good start; they went into the break with a 16-point advantage. In the 2nd half Team Black went on a 12-3 run charged by the stellar play of Mikkel Tyne, which brought them back within reach. Mikkel Tyne picked up a majority of the scoring load for Team Black putting them in a position to get the W. The game went down to wire with 18.4 seconds left in regulation Mikkel Tyne got a tough bucket to fall. Team Red then answered back with a bucket of their own. With 5 seconds left to play Mikkel assisted to Evykynn Panton for game winning bucket. Team Black took the win 78-77. Game MVP went to Mikkel Tyne of Team Black and Jahsmar Olembe from Team Red. This concludes the 3rd Annual YRU All-star Experience; we appreciate all those who contributed to the event and to all the students-athletes who put their time and efforts into making this possible. The Youth Are US, point, blank, period!

“This Atmosphere was something special tonight, definitely one for the books”

— MC Ebone

In it’s third year president Antwi aimed to provide each student-athlete with a unique experience, athletically as well as academically. Back in 2016 Antwi hosted the inaugural All-Star Experience that had a profound imprint on the Toronto community. Since the 1st YRU event, we’re witnessed exponential growth with the YRU program. Antwi and his team have contributed to the lives of several student-athletes, aiming their focus on accomplishing great life aspirations.

This is the 2018 YRU All-Star Experience highlights. Youth basketball at its finest going head to head in a girls and boys game. Youth R US's mission is "committed to providing student-athletes with elite basketball training, life skills, and academic development.

Event: 3rd Annual YRU All-Star Experience

Special thanks Slam Magazine, Noir ET Noire, Adidas, Diamond & Diamond Lawyers,

Public Speakers: Clive Williams, Antwi Atuahene, T.J. , Gonga, Joe Corapi, Micaella Riche, Jason Faulkner

Photography: Charlie Lindsay (@doncharleone) , Tristan Forbes (@tris416), Mariam Konate (@candidmk) , Pukharaj Bassan (@pvkhrajs)

Video By: Tatiyanna Williams (@_msclvssy)

The Goldring High Performance Centre was home to the 4th annual Bio Steel All-Canadian High School game. This game was comprised of the top 24 prospects throughout Canadian, including 4 NCAA Division I Commits: Luguentz Dort, Jonathan Kabongo, Daniel Sackey, and Noah Kirkwood. The game received national media coverage; as it headlined the #2 prospect in the 2018 class Luguentz Dort. Luguentz graced the audience with his presence and stellar play. It’s been no surprise that he was named the game’s MVP for the second time, leading all scores with a game-high 34 points. Next fall the Quebec native will attend Arizona State University where he will suit up for legendary Bobby Hurley Jr. Luguentz led Bio Steel Team White to a 147-131 victory.

“I remember watching Andrew when he was high school and I was really young... he was one of my favourite players and to watch him where he’s at now is real nice”

— Luguentz Dort

Team white dominated the hardwood all night, and at the forefront of their operation was Brock University's Coach Charles Kissi. Coach Kissi and his staff preached the importance of playing together to his squad. Team White attributes their success to their teammates and their willingness to share the ball. What made this so organic and unique was the ability for each player to recognized the advantage that they've imposed with being unselfish on the offensive end. It's very rare to witness something like this especially in an all-star game, to have the whole starting line up in double figures is great, but to have 7 out-of- 10 players' score in double figures is a reflection of their coaches! I like to witness different players utilizing their skills and creativity to contribute to the team success, and I strongly believe that Team White illustrated that on Monday night.

“We’re going to continue to develop Canadian talent going forward, and we got to continue to work together to add value”

— Charles Kissi

Quebec native Quincy Guerrier led Team Red with 19 points on 8/10 shooting. His supporting efforts weren’t enough to close the gap for Team Red. Quincy also received MVP honors joining 2-time MVP Luguentz Dort; He will be a player to keep an eye out for in the near future. Three starters finished in double figures for Team Red, one sole contributor being Daniel Sackey. Daniel has a unique story that he shared this weekend, he comes from Manitoba and has a lot to prove to the naysayers. On Sunday night he was name the Bio Steel Dunk off Champion, which he used to propel him into the game Monday night where he poured in 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 20 minutes of play. It was great to see him utilize this platform to showcase what he’s all about, not to mention developing newfound notoriety on the hardwood. Ultimately, the determining factor is this game was the cohesive effort of Team White; they were connecting on all cylinders, which provide a widening gap in the 2nd half of play. This birthed new life for Coach Kissi and his squad.

“It’s honestly a blessing to be able to win this award, it’s just a great feeling!”

— Quincy Guerrier

The future for Canada Basketball is definitely heading in the right direction, with the emergence of its national programs we can begin to witness the dawn of a new age. Over the years Canada hasn’t been recognized as a dominant force in international play, but because of the development of it's top prospects, this has left a profound imprint on the culture of Canadian Basketball. It's a defining moment for the country as a whole and its great to see the endowment of Canada Basketball, and it will continue to leave it lasting legacy for many years to come. These crops of prospects are solely the future for our generation and shall continue to flourish at the next level, whether it's in their homeland or across the boarder. History shall repeat itself.

“Canada Basketball has been developing over the years and still scratching the surface in terms of the potential for their programs.”

— Jack Armstrong

Event: Bio Steel All-Canadian Classic

Special Thanks: Canada Basketball, Bio-Steel All-Canadian, Benji Agbeke (@benji Agbeke)

We Sell Mindset, Not Products

YRU All-Star Experience | Noir-et-Noire Excellence / April 16, 2018 by Hussein Abdullahi

Bio Steel All-Canadian Game | Future Stars / April 11, 2018 by Hussein Abdullahi