Mobile’s sixth annual Ballin’ on the Bay basketball tournament came to a close this weekend, sending home more than 120 teams along with hundreds of players and parents who filled the courts across the city. Organizers say the event has grown into one of the area’s premier summer showcases for youth hoops.
Beyond competition, coaches and organizers with the Mobile Hornets program point to the tournament as a classroom of sorts, where teen athletes pick up habits that carry well past the final buzzer.
Lessons Beyond the Scoreboard
Sherwonda Southall, sports director for the Mobile Hornets, said the event helps young people across the city build teamwork and sportsmanship that translate into everyday life.
“If you can’t work with someone, you can’t get along with someone — and you need to do that to get ahead in life,” Southall said.
Keeping Skills Sharp Over Summer
With schools out for the break, the tournament also gives players a chance to stay sharp against unfamiliar opponents. China Guy, assistant athletic director with the Mobile Hornets, said facing different competition in a new atmosphere is valuable for developing all-around players.
The three-day event drew families from around Mobile County and the Gulf Coast, giving local businesses and venues a busy weekend while keeping hundreds of teens engaged in organized athletics during the summer months.