Summertime Hoops

WESLACO — Mark Winston is a 12-year-old youngster with a dream.

His favorite team is the San Antonio Spurs and his favorite player is Tim Duncan. One day Winston would love to be in the same shoes as the humble Duncan and play in the NBA, even better for his beloved Spurs.

Like Duncan and all NBA stars of today, it all began in the gym as a young, hungry individual. Athletes like Winston are participating in this year's Boys & Girls Club Summer League Tourney, each with hopes of developing and improving on the basic skills and fundamentals of basketball while having fun along the way.

The Boys & Girls Club of Weslaco partnered with Weslaco East High School to host the event in hopes of making it an annual tournament.

The league consists of 17 teams from the Mid-Valley area as well as traveling teams from Pharr and McAllen area ranging from 5th-8th graders. As many as 200 kids will participate twice a week. Play began Monday and will run through the end of the month, when a weekend tournament will take place. Trophies will be handed out to first, second and third place winners.

"Our main thing is we hope we started something here in Weslaco," said Boys & Girls Club Sports Coordinator Edgar Valerio. "We're happy that coach (Armando) Cuellar and (Weslaco) East gave us the facilities to play in."

In the past, Valerio said players would have to travel to places such as McAllen to participate. In many cases, parents struggled to take their kids to camps and now Weslaco and neighboring cities such as Edcouch-Elsa and Mercedes have a place closer to home.

"It gets kids to play basketball and grow," Valerio said. "The more they play the better they get." 

 
More importantly, it keeps the children off the streets.

"Kids always look for something to do in the summer whether it's a good thing or a bad thing," said Director of Boys & Girls Club David Fox. "This is going to be real effective."

Fox said that at first, it was difficult to find a place in Weslaco to host such a large event, but that East's two courts make the tournament run smoothly.

Winston, who will be a seventh grader in the fall, said that if it wasn't for the league, he would be playing basketball at home.

But through the tournament, Winston knows he can be on the path to following his dreams, and having a little fun at the same time.

"I like it, it's fun," he said.