From the desk of Ali T. Muhammad, who has been co-running basketball and other youth programming at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, and Executive Director Nancy Proyect, the following press release shares details of an upcoming youth basketball championship and new season registration opportunity:

The Newburgh Armory Unity Center will hold its All City-Wide Basketball League (ACWBL) championship on Sunday, January 23rd, beginning at 11 AM.

The ACWBL is co-ed and includes two divisions – one for youth aged 9-11 and for children aged 11-13. The League is part of the Newburgh Armory Unity Center’s athletic and academic programming and is free of all costs to families.

In 2021, Mr. Harold Rayford, a lifelong resident of Newburgh and a well-respected basketball coach, leads the new basketball league. His volunteer coaches brought their talents and longstanding basketball knowledge, experience, and insight to the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.

Since this program’s inception, the Newburgh Armory Unity Center’s Saturday Morning Enrichment Program has seen an uptick in enrollment and increased diversity within all programming. “We decided to name the new League ‘All City-Wide’ so people from throughout Newburgh would recognize they are all welcome at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, no matter who they are and on what side of Newburgh they live,” said Coach Rayford. “I’m thrilled to say it’s worked. We have people from all over the area and from different ethnicities in the League.”

Mr. William Kaplan, Newburgh Armory Unity Center Founder and Chairman of the Board, said he is thrilled to join the new league a full line up of athletic and academic programming. “Having a seasoned coach and living legend like Coach Rayford at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center provides our youth with a dedicated team that can uniquely assist in improving the skills and lives of young athletes in Newburgh.” Mr. Kaplan added that the new basketball league feeds directly into the Newburgh Armory Unity Center’s goal of serving as a community center. “When I opened the Unity Center eleven years ago, my vision was to create a safe place for the youth of Newburgh to play basketball. Since inception, we’ve grown into a premier educational enrichment center, and it’s wonderful to be able to fulfill this original mission.”

New Winter Registration Opportunity

Following this weekend’s championship, Coach Rayford will hold registration and tryouts for the Newburgh Armory Unity Center’s ACWBL Winter Basketball League for 9-13-year-old youth beginning in mid-February. For dates and times, please visit the Newburgh Armory Unity Center’s website at www.newburgharmory.org or the Newburgh Armory Unity Center’s Facebook page and Instagram account, or call 845-245-4035 or email Program Registration contact Diana Bernal at DBernal@newburgharmory.org

About The Newburgh Armory

The Newburgh Armory Unity Center (NAUC) has been changing young lives since 2010. Using the concept of learning through play, the NAUC provides free educational programming from literacy classes to career path exploration, all aimed at ending poverty and eliminating the need for educational remediation. During the Unity Center’s signature Saturday Morning Enrichment Program, children in pre-k through sixth grade participate in reading, writing, math, engineering, natural science, computer science, and the arts to develop the scholastic ability, life skills, and emotional intelligence. After-school programs offer additional opportunities for educational enrichment. The NAUC also offers sports programming to provide skills and increase development, as well as to introduce leadership skills and team building. NAUC operates 52 weeks per year to ensure that children and their families always have a place to learn, enjoy themselves, and be a part of a community.