Youth From Connecticut's Three Biggest Cities to ‘Hoop It Up'

Next month youth teams from New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport are invited to compete in the third annual Hoop It Up 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

New Haven will again shut down Church Street along the green to set up a dozen basketball hoops.

“We’re one community and that’s what we want to get across,” said Jason Bartlett, New Haven’s director of Youth Services.

Organizers are expecting even more than the thousand participants last year with the addition of teams from Bridgeport.

“I’m very excited because I get to play what I love which is basketball,” said New Haven fifth grader Nigel Ragsdale, who is signed up for the first time.

Mayors Toni Harp of New Haven, Luke Bronin of Hartford and Joe Ganim of Bridgeport say this event is about showing camaraderie between their cities and keeping young people engaged over the summer.

“They play together competitively, hard, believe me, street ball, 3-on-3 is some hard basketball,” Bartlett said.

A nighttime basketball session where the children will get the chance to shoot hoops with local police and firefighters is also new this year.

“Let me tell you, this year more than any,” Ganim said, “I think it’s critical whether us pushing to create youth opportunities to interact with police or supporting community policing with everything that’s going on in the country.”

If your children are interested in playing in the tournament, contact city hall in New Haven, Hartford or Bridgeport or visit this link.

The tournament is August 6 and 7.

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