Gary Winfield Photos
Over 100 teams “hooped it up” on Church Street, as a summer youth idea became a tradition.
The occasion was the second annual “Hoop It Up” tournament inviting kids (8 and up) and young adults to compete in a tournament in teams of four right in front of City Hall and the Green. Church Street was closed to traffic for the event, which took place this past weekend.
The Harp administration launched the tournament last year as one of a slew of events to keep young people busy and productive in summer months. (Read about last year’s tourney here.) The tourney expanded this summer to include teams from Hartford. Team New Haven beat Team Hartford in the 14 – 18-year-old category.
The administration’s youth services bureau bought 250 books to distribute to kids during the hoops action. Friends and family members of the players filled the sidelines for a festive time.
WYBC was the radio sponsor of the event, putting the winners on the air. In the Adult Competitive category, Heat Boogs beat the Ghettos Gunners. New Haven Black beat Derby 11 – 4 in the 15 – 17-year-old youth category; the New Haven Reds overtook Heart over Height in the 12 – 14; Go Hard beat Road Dogs in Adult Recreational; Shooters topped Easy Money 20 – 19 in Youth 19+; Team Erie beat Skillz in Youth under 10; Team Game 7 triumphed in the 8 – 11 category.