Named after one in every of basketball’s most pioneering players, Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School teaches its students that humble beginnings are only a stepping stone to the long run you ought to create.

On September 25, the college broke ground on a everlasting, 69,000-square-foot building that students and college can now call home.

When founder Dan Klores decided to begin a charter school, it was as a result of a lack of specialised high schools after traveling nonprofit New Renaissance Basketball Association, AAU program created with donations from friends and colleagues, Andscape said.

“Why can’t there be a specialized school for basketball, not just the game of football?” – Klores asked.

Earl Monroe New Renaissance Charter School offers specializations in basketball-related careers reminiscent of broadcast journalism, nutrition, physical therapy, gaming entertainment, law and more.

Although the college is governed by the New York State Department of Education, it is operated and operated as a charter school independent of the New York Public Schools. The development of the college is supervised by a council of 16 members, including teachers, social activists and lawyers. The first trustee was then-NBA commissioner David Stern.

Klores and Stern’s friendship began in 1983. As their friendship grew, so did their support for one another’s endeavors. Stern introduced Klores to Adam Silver, the present NBA commissioner, and a friendship also developed. The three have remained very close, and as a result, the NBA has supported the college and its efforts. The school’s motto was inspired by a speech Stern once gave: “Ball and a book can change the world.”

When it got here to creating a school, all the pieces had a purpose, including the situation. Klores, who was from Brooklyn, didn’t want the college to be in his home neighborhood. “Brooklyn has experienced incredible growth over the last 25 years. From beautiful neighborhoods to income growth, Brooklyn is doing well. This is not the case in the Bronx,” Klores said.

The Bronx is the poorest borough of New York, with 27.6% of residents living below the poverty line. About 10 years ago, when the Earl Monroe New Renaissance basketball school was just a concept, Klores met with local developers who told him about their plans to show the Bronx into business real estate.

It was then that Klores decided to construct a school within the Bronx.

“You can revitalize a community,” Klores said. “You have to start somewhere.”

The 110-student school opened in September 2021 at a temporary location within the Pelham Bay neighborhood of the Bronx. He has since achieved most of his goals. Interest in investments has increased on the premises of the temporary school, and more students are fascinated by art and sports-related subjects. The number of scholars has grown to over 400, and the common literacy level began within the fourth grade and is now within the ninth grade. But within the words of Klores, “there is still much work to be done.”

Students reflect the community. Ninety-nine percent of scholars are Black and Latino, and 30% of scholars have special needs. The primary goal of the college is to succeed in as many children as possible and improve the standard of life of scholars.

An example is the business classes taught by Klores. The curriculum focuses on financial literacy. Students worked in teams and commenced their very own sportswear company called “Finally.” The students were then “adopted” by Centric Brands, a global apparel company based in New York.

With the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School set to have a everlasting home next yr, the groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Klores, Silver, NBA star Julius Randle and the college’s namesake, legendary NBA guard Earl “The Pearl” Monroe. Klores and Monroe have worked together on other projects, reminiscent of Klores’ award-winning documentary

When it got here time to call the college, Klores had a query.

“Why do we have to wait until someone passes away to honor them?” – said Klores. “Not only is Earl an amazing person, but he helped shape basketball into the game we know today.”

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) – JuJu Watkins appeared with Joel Embiid in an AT&T business and threw out the first pitch at a Dodgers game.

The next great opportunity is almost here.

The Southern California sophomore standout has a likelihood to take over the baton that Caitlin Clark has carried for the past few years as the standard-bearer of women’s college basketball.

“I wouldn’t really say there’s pressure,” she said Wednesday during Big Ten media day. “There are a lot of great teams in this league and I think my main focus is winning with my team. And wherever that takes us, we are grateful. I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

Watkins and USC enter their first season in the Big Ten with rising expectations.

Last 12 months, the Trojans reached the Elite Eight of their deepest NCAA Tournament in three many years and were picked by each the coaches and media panel to win the conference championship. Watkins was named Preseason Player of the Year after a record-setting season as a freshman, and the opportunities ahead seem limitless at a time when interest in the sport has never been greater.

Clark, thanks to a series of three-pointers from Stephen Curry’s range, paved that path over the last 4 years at Iowa. She set a Division I record by averaging 28.4 points in her profession and was the obvious alternative to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever.

Meanwhile, Watkins was a first-team All-American last season. She finished second in the nation behind Clark in scoring at 27.1 points per game and set a national record for a freshman with a complete of 920. USC routinely played to packed crowds with celebrities in attendance.

“I don’t know if there was a young African-American women’s basketball superstar at that age who could use that platform, but I think it’s going to do a ton of good for the communities both in Los Angeles and across the country,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “I wouldn’t bet against her that she can handle anything. At the same time, our job is to prepare her for what may come and make sure she can enjoy life and be a child.”

She said Watkins showed last 12 months that she was ready to “take women’s basketball by storm.”

“This is what she did with courage, grace and authenticity that is exceptional,” Gottlieb said. Obviously, she’s a very different person and a very different player than Caitlin Clark. But I feel similarly, expectations are getting higher and better, and so they are still being fulfilled.”

Lifestyle

Gottlieb said USC administrators contacted Iowa State with questions on safety and the way the school kept Clark secure. She has also reached out to Clark and plans to call former coach Lisa Bluder, who retired in May, for advice on how to cope with such an influential player.

“Ask her to talk about what she would have done differently, what she did, what she had to learn and what she had to adapt to, even in terms of signing autographs, about the tour and when you meet with your band – that’s all” – Gottlieb he said. “Why not help each other and be a resource for each other, and then we can learn as much as we can from them.”

Iowa State coach Jan Jensen, Bluder’s longtime assistant, had some advice.

“In your home you try to protect yourself,” she said. “The world can be turning pretty fast and everybody can be talking and wanting Juju to proceed producing. I’d say that the big world outside can stay big, but in your world it should feel quite small and tight.

Watkins and USC find themselves in a complete recent world. It’s the same with the Big Ten with the arrival of the Trojans, UCLA, Oregon and Washington from the Pac-12. But since Clark is now in the WNBA, the league has one other torchbearer.

“It’ll be fun to watch him evolve,” said Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff, who saw Watkins rating 32 points in a gap loss to the Trojans in Las Vegas last 12 months. “I think the Big Ten will give her an even bigger stage than the one she was on. “When you add to that the fact that he’s in Los Angeles, I think he’s going to be someone who will really help continue to take the sport in a great direction.”

The competition couldn’t stop Coco Gauff from helping her opponent who had to withdraw from a tennis match.

According to , he was a young tennis phenomenon involved in a match against Naomi Osaka, when her opponent had to withdraw from the match due to a back injury she suffered. When the match was awarded to Gauff, after she sat on the bench on her side of the court, Gauff was seen hugging and talking to Osaka as they each approached the referee. Instead of returning to her bench, Gauff offers to help Osaka carry her bag and belongings to the locker room.

Osaka looked surprised that she offered and accepted, while Gauff grabbed one in all her bags and started walking side by side with her opponent off the tennis court.

Give me a helping hand 💜@CocoGauff helps an opponent off the field after Naomi Osaka is forced to withdraw from the game with a lower back injury.

Gauff advances to #ChinaOpen quarterfinals with the rating 3-6, 6-4, RET. pic.twitter.com/ahm3pavauj

— wta (@WTA) October 1, 2024

It took place on October 1 during the China Open. The submission allows Gauff to advance to the quarterfinals. The match was nearing the end of the third set when Osaka had to leave the court due to an injury. Osaka won the first set by a rating of 6–3, and Gauff rebounded to win the second set by a rating of 6–4.

reported that Gauff addressed media, wished Osaka a speedy recovery and admitted that her play was not her “best tennis”.

“I wish Naomi a speedy recovery. Nobody wants to win a match like that, especially after one set. Overall, I attempted my best. It wasn’t my best tennis. I do not know, it was just one in all those games where you are attempting to give your all at every point.

After the match, Osaka addressed her fans via social media explained what happened on the court.

“Hi everyone. I just wanted to say that I’m extremely grateful and comfortable to have been able to play in Beijing. With that said, I feel like I owe a little back story about today. So I locked my back in training earlier and truthfully, I wasn’t unsure if I’d give you the option to play in any respect but I just wanted to try, unfortunately as the match went on it step by step got worse. Totally value it lol 😅.”