OUR HISTORY
STILL HERE BASKETBALL, INC. is a not-for-profit, 501 (c) (3) charitable organization guided by a mission of advancing the game of basketball through education, encouragement, and development of the game and its enthusiasts.
Still Here Basketball, Inc., as a living-breathing-entity, began more than 20 years ago as a casual group of middle-aged basketball players who, through a variety of ways and reasons, found that they enjoyed playing the game with each other. That led to countless games of pick-up followed by season-after-season of entering teams in men's leagues throughout Northeast, Ohio; then national tournaments in Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Tampa and even the iconic Rucker Park in Harlem, New York. Our teams have even competed internationally in Iceland and Ireland.
Originally we called ourselves: OLDER THAN DIRT (because we were). We later changed our collective team name to STILL HERE (because we are).
At a certain point, middle-aged basketball players become --- well, to put it politely but factually: old. Within our “older” group the inevitable began to happen: illnesses, various disasters and challenges, deaths. It seemed only natural that, as a group, we should reach out and help others who needed support. From this grew the realization that, as a group, we could and should do even more.
That led, in 2008, to the formalized organization and incorporation of Still Here Basketball, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization. We have grown from a handful of aging men to a large network of men and women of all ages, from many parts of the globe, all united by a love for basketball.
OUR MISSION
Our mission has and will be accomplished through recreation and fellowship designed to both facilitate direct participation in the game and to raise funds for charitable and benevolent objectives.
Our charitable objectives are accomplished through the granting of financial assistance to established charities and youth basketball players who may be in need of financial help in order to be able to participate in the game. Charities and individual basketball players assisted are chosen by the Still Here Basketball, Inc. Board of Directors with the goal of assisting those charities that have touched the lives of members of the organization or their immediate families.
Our benevolent objectives are accomplished through the establishment and maintenance of a benevolent fund that can be called upon at a moment’s notice to provide aid to recipients in the event of life-threatening or debilitating illness or crisis. Said assistance is given at the discretion of the Still Here Basketball, Inc. Board of Directors.
Through our fundraising activities we have been able to help numerous individuals in need but, beyond that, have contributed on a continual basis to helping young basketball players with financial constraints meet pay-for-play requirements.
Additionally, we have assisted police activity leagues and community centers with outreach basketball programs. We have sponsored wheelchair basketball leagues, basketball leagues dedicated to supporting individuals with cognitive challenges, and have conducted BASKETBALL & LIFE SKILLS workshops. These workshops focused on helping young athletes learn that the personal skills that cause a person to be a good basketball player, are the same skills that make a good human being.
