Last summer, Ian Benson marveled as he looked out on the then-brand new outdoor basketball courts along Barnes Street in New Kensington.
It was the first time in the five years of the Kings & Queens of the Court summer youth basketball program that it was held there as more than 30 boys and girls took part in the weekly instruction and game sessions.
Benson said thoughts immediately turned to bringing the program back to the outdoor courts this summer.
With the first session June 23, close to 50 kids ages 5 to high school from New Kensington, Arnold and surrounding communities are having fun, making friends and growing in the game.
“It is awesome to have this many kids excited about playing and being excited about basketball,” Benson said. “There are so many things going on over the summer. There’s just nothing like the outdoor courts. I remember how fun it was growing up to play outside with my friends. It’s different from playing in a gym. With all the tablets and technology and other things, they don’t get outside enough. To get them out here is cool.”
The Sunday sessions are expected to run until the start of the 2024-25 academic year in mid to late August.
Shortly after the participants gathered Sunday, Benson and the other instructors, including Benson’s cousin and former Valley teammate Steve Ross, broke them up into teams for games. Benson said he continues to be impressed with what he sees from the young and talented players who show off their abilities on offense and defense.
“Instead of having set teams every week, we pick-up for teams based on who is here,” Benson said. “We want to switch the teams up so the kids are playing with someone new and different every time. The kids have fun playing, and there also is a lot of instruction mixed in.”
Program participants didn’t mind playing Sunday, when temperatures rose into the low to mid-90s as an early-afternoon sun baked the court surface.
Plenty of water was on hand to keep them hydrated.
Benson said he couldn’t come close to having this youth basketball opportunity available without the help of his instructional team of Ross, Kassidy Ferguson, Alyssa and Julian Flenory, Joey Marzullo and recent Valley graduate Tyair Wright.
“Those guys and gals help me tremendously,” Benson said. “They know the game so well, and they enjoy giving back to help these kids improve and love basketball. The kids feel good knowing there are those out here who can teach them proper techniques and will take the time to help them.”
Wright, a 2023 Valley graduate, came to the summer youth sessions in 2019 before his freshman year.
“Ian was one of the coaches who was a big part of teaching me how to play the game,” said Wright, who took up boxing for fitness while also continuing in basketball with Valley. “I just want to give back the way Ian helped me. That is very important to me.”
Benson said he sees growth every week of the summer program, and new ideas to keep things fresh and to expand keep popping into his mind.
“I am just appreciative that we’ve gotten to this point where we are in a position to make it bigger and better,” he said.
Benson said he is excited for support from the new Valley boys and girls varsity basketball head coaches, Valley graduates Brice Flenory (boys) and Tonya (Pryor) Norman (girls).
“Tonya actually helped me in the early stages of the youth league, and Brice played in the high school/college adult league,” Benson said. “They’ve been pretty enthusiastic about how the program is going. It was cool to hear from them and be able to work with them.”
While the summer camp and pickup-game sessions continue, Benson is looking forward to the next winter session starting in December. Last year’s winter session, at times, drew close to 100, and he expects that to be the case again this year.
“The winter league is in the middle of basketball season, so we always get more kids playing then,” he said.
For more information on the summer or winter league/camp sessions, call Benson at 724-472-7324 or email ianbenson1987@gmail.com.
To register for the winter league, visit Kings & Queens of the Court Basketball on Facebook or on Instagram @kingsandqueensofthecourtbball.
“It is really cool to have so many kids of all ages and from different communities come in here and get along and share a common love of the game,” Benson said.
“We’re just out here with the hope that we can give them motivation to improve themselves both in and out of basketball.”
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
