Rec Sports
NIU Today | Project FLEX basketball tourney hosts youth from five juvenile justice centers
Three dozen youth in the secure custody of the State of Illinois showed off their hoops skills this spring during the inaugural “FLEX Lloyd Tournament of Champions” basketball tournament at Northern Illinois University’s Anderson Hall. And, between the whistles, they enjoyed another chance to glimpse what life could look like through making different and better […]
And, between the whistles, they enjoyed another chance to glimpse what life could look like through making different and better choices.
Realizations of possibilities came in the moment: “A lot of people didn’t believe in us,” one player said, “and we ended up proving the haters wrong.”
Organized by NIU Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education faculty members and associate professors Jenn Jacobs and Zach Wahl-Alexander, the Project FLEX (Fitness, Leadership, EXperience) competition in DeKalb expanded years of programming designed to help the young people develop positive habits for post-release success.
Five Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) facilities – Chicago, Pere Marquette, Harrisburg, PEACE Center at St. Charles and Warrenville – sent teams to field an eight-squad bracket that also included three lineups of NIU students.
Youth were chosen for the IDJJ teams based on a record of good behavior, staff recommendations and an interest in participating. IDJJ staff served as coaches for the teams, holding practices for the weeks leading up to the tournament and working to obtain uniforms and shoes for the teams.
Approximately 45 IDJJ staff members traveled to DeKalb to coach, cheer, assist and ensure safety protocols remained in place. Tommie Meyers, who manages several travel basketball teams in the Chicago area, donated 20 pairs of basketball shoes for youth who needed them.
NIU’s Mission II, a purebred Siberian Husky, attended the tournament so youth and staff could pet him before the kickoff of the tournament. Victor E. Huskie, the NIU mascot, also provided photo opportunities for youth and staff.
Following three rounds of spirited and full-court play accompanied by a steady soundtrack of hip-hop music, the St. Charles Phoenix Emerging Adult Career and Education (PEACE) Center climbed to the top.
It was just as confidently predicted by one athlete from that facility who reported that he and his teammates worked hard to prepare for the tournament, showed dedication to make their mothers proud and, as a result, would leave NIU with the trophy.
He and his counterparts definitely made Jacobs and Wahl-Alexander proud.
“It was cool to see some of them just zoom out of being an incarcerated person and just feel like a normal kid, and I think it was the exact opportunity where they got to feel like a high school kid for the first time,” Jacobs said. “The thing I’m most excited about is that the kids rose to the occasion, because they were the ones who could have made or broken the experience – and they just crushed it.”
“We’re trying to provide these real-world experiences for the kids – these realistic opportunities that they would have if they weren’t incarcerated,” Wahl-Alexander added, “and I think that as we’ve gotten more comfortable, and as the facility has given us more flexibility and freedom, we’ve started to push the boundaries a bit.”
Vickery has appreciated Project FLEX’s philosophy in action with the Chicago, St. Charles and Warrenville facilities.
Project FLEX and IDJJ began their partnership in 2018 at the St. Charles youth center, using sports to make a positive impact on the lives of incarcerated youth. FLEX now operates multiple programs in three IDJJ facilities, including an initiative that helps high school graduates at the PEACE Center to become certified personal trainers.
“We try to offer as many normal opportunities that the youth would have in regular schools and, even though they’re in our custody, we’re going to have as many opportunities as possible for them to engage in athletics and other competition,” Vickery said.
“What’s so cool about Project FLEX in particular is, yes, they’re doing sports activities, but underlying all of that is really a focus on building life skills; building a capacity to set goals and work toward them; building a capacity to work through frustrations,” he added. “This is a culminating event where they’re able to apply all the skills.”
Sean T. Frazier, NIU vice president/director of Athletics and Recreation, set an affirmational tone with a motivational speech immediately before the games began.
“This is really special for me for a lot of different reasons,” Frazier told the IDJJ youth. “I wouldn’t be standing here today if I didn’t have a chance, through athletics, to get a scholarship to go on to college. Thank the Lord I was able to do that, or I would basically be that statistic.”
Sean T. Frazier (center), with Jenn Jacobs and Zach Wahl-Alexander, delivered the keynote address.
Frazier said his mother, a single parent, “had to work three or four jobs just to put some food on our table” in Queens, New York.
Her effort provided a powerful example, he said, adding that he accepted FLEX’s invitation to speak to pay forward that gift by encouraging the youth to make the most of the opportunity they were given.
“One of the things that always struck me going through the process is that she always believed that I was going to be able to get something done. I really appreciate her to this day. I get choked up thinking about the things that she had to do for me to be in the position that I am,” he said.
“You can do whatever you want to do. It’s up to you to make the commitment and to have the discipline to make it happen,” he added. “You’ve got people here that are going to help you … and if I can be that person, please come on over to the Athletics department. I’d love to have that conversation.”
For Jacobs and Wahl-Alexander, the first-time event’s success was confirmed by the campus visitors; several IDJJ staff members told the professors that “this is my favorite day on the job ever.”
“I do want to credit our supporters. Rob Vickery and the IDJJ are just visionaries, and it takes courage to say yes to things that have not done before,” Jacobs said. “I think it’s reflective of a positive partnership. We’re delivering on our outcomes, keeping the kids safe and helping them grow.”
St. Anthony Lloyd, IDJJ Leisure Time Activities supervisor, agrees.
Lloyd was instrumental in all aspects of planning and coordinating the tournament and served as the primary liaison between the department and Project FLEX, which he calls “a phenomenal partner.”
“For me, this tournament was about more than basketball. I truly believe that when we unite for the benefit of our youth, success naturally follow,” he said. “While the games themselves were exciting, the true significance of the event lays in its power to bring people together in pursuit of a shared goal. Basketball just happened to be the catalyst.”
NIU students also played in the tournament, fielding three squads.
Such “meaningful experiences have the power to shift perspectives.”
“Outsiders will now see our youth as more than their past. IDJJ staff can now witness firsthand that positive outcomes are achievable when we work in unison. Most importantly, our youth will begin to believe that their current circumstances do not define their future – they are capable of achieving and experiencing greatness,” Lloyd said.
There is so much more potential ahead,” he added, “and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together in the future.”
He’s not alone.
“I like the feeling of how everyone played together and played well, with no problems,” one player said. “We should keep it going.”
