ABOUT ELITE YOUTH BASKETBALL

NIKE Global Challenge
Schedule: August 6-8, 2010 (Portland, OR)

NIKE Elite Youth Basketball's mission is to improve the game of basketball from the ground up. We offer young players a place to receive superior skill instruction, honest evaluation and life-changing experiences. Our programs and events push kids to work hard and to challenge them to be better on and off the court.

Through our network of High School programs, sponsored Travel Teams and professional talent evaluators, we are able to identify who the top high school players are throughout the country.

A player's potential is often identified at one of the many sponsored NIKE Basketball tournaments. This year, NIKE unveils the Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), which will consist of three preliminary events in Hampton, VA, Houston, TX and Los Angeles, CA. The EYBL will help provide structure to the Travel Team circuit and allow teams to play for an ultimate goal each summer. The EYBL finals will be played at the most coveted tournament of the summer, the NIKE Peach Jam in North Augusta, SC.

For many underclassmen, their first elite camp experience begins at the annual invitation-only NIKE Hoop Jamboree. This event is offered to high school Freshmen and Sophomores to give them a taste of how serious they need to be to get to the next level. The next stop along the Elite Youth trail is one of the NIKE Positional Skills Academies, this year hosted by Amar'e Stoudemire, Paul Pierce, Kevin Durant and Deron Williams. These Academies are three days of intense skill instruction along side peers of the same position. Only the top 20 players at each position are invited.

Next, these top 80 players get to implement their positional work in a team setting at the LeBron James Skills Academy with the 2009 NBA Most Valuable Player in Akron, Ohio.

Those players are all invited to participate in the King City Classic in Cleveland to showcase their skills in a team tournament in front of hundreds of NCAA coaches, scouts and media.

And the Summer doesn't stop here. The top 30 players from LeBron and the King City Classic are invited to play against the top youth players from all over the World at the NIKE Global Challenge in Portland, Oregon.

Following a player's high school career, the Jordan Brand Classic is quickly becoming the most prestigious high school all-star game for graduating seniors. This game is played in Madison Square Garden and has been attended by some of the biggest sports and entertainment celebrities such as Michael Jordan, CC Sabathia, Kanye West and Akon. High School seniors are also eligible for the NIKE Hoop Summit, through a partnership with USA Basketball, pitting the top 10 U.S. players against the best in the world.

It's not just about what's happening on the court. NIKE's program strives to mentor players to be role models academically and socially. Many of the athletes who participate in these events excel in the classroom and in their communities. We believe the investment in young players today, will only enhance the game for tomorrow.

Check out the EYBL