Baltimore Youth Opportunity (YO!) Basketball Tournament

Lake Clifton at 2801 St. Lo Drive

Mayor's Office of Employment Development/Youth Opportunity Movement

Saturday, November 24th from 12:00 noon on the Baltimore Youth Opportunity (YO!) Movement will be hosting its first Basketball Tournament at Lake Clifton at 2801 St. Lo Drive. Teams from Buffalo, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. will be competing with our East and West Side YO! Baltimore Teams.

YO! is an initiative of the United States Department of Labor aimed to support the long-term success of youth living in the Baltimore Empowerment Zone. This approach addresses the total person, focusing on a youth development model of comprehensive support services. Many of the youth participating in this tournament are working to earn their GED or they are enrolled in a career-training program.

"They're good kids who will succeed with the support of caring adults in their lives and YO! aims to provide this support, shared Ernest Dorsey, Director of the Youth Opportunity Area in the Mayor's Office of Employment Development (MOED).

The International Medalist Association-one of many partners in the Baltimore Youth Opportunity Movement, is coordinating this tournament. This organization utilizes the notoriety of Olympic Athletes to promote youth development through sports. "We hope every youth who participates will leave feeling like a winner. This is an exciting and a very worthy venture for IMA," said Ron Freeman, President of IMA.

YO! is one of 36 recipients of the U.S. DOL Youth Opportunity Grants. Baltimore is scheduled to receive $44 million in federal funds to implement a project that creates six ports in the City's Empowerment Zone neighborhoods over a five-year period.

For more information about the Baltimore Youth Opportunity Movement, please visit their web site at www.yobaltimore.org.