Organizations We Support

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The NeXT Basketball Foundation began with one single thought: to create a cultural shift in the field of youth athletics by changing how we as a society think, evaluate and compete within youth sports. Our mission is to develop young people for the NeXT phase of their lives through the game of basketball, while at the same time, creating future leaders through community service and community initiatives.

We believe you can’t lead until you humble yourself and serve. That is what we want to do, and we want to teach young people to do the same.

As we reflect on where we are as a Foundation over the past year (from initial concept to a full-fledged 501(c)(3) organization), we have made remarkable progress. We have established a 15-member Board and a 12-member team staff, including the Ohio State basketball legend Jerry Lucas who has agreed to serve as honorary Executive Director. Our Foundation is a great example of when a vision/message resonates with a group of people at the grassroots level, how swiftly and powerfully it can build momentum and grow. It’s been an unbelievable “365 days.”

The NeXT Basketball Foundation has a motto that states: “We All Got NeXT.” Every adult that participates in youth sports has the tremendous responsibility, and opportunity, to aid each player’s parents in properly developing their children — the NeXT generation of adults — to be productive citizens and in becoming actively engaged members within their given community in the future.  We will say it again; our mission is to develop young people for the NeXT phase of their lives through the game of basketball. We at NeXT want to take this important and valuable time in a child’s life, while they’re participating in youth sports, and maximize the impact.

Our main objective is to create an environment through community “give-back” initiatives where each young person will develop a heart and mind that is socially conscious, civic minded, and community driven.

In the end, basketball is just the “bait,” developing a young person to be a person of significance later in life is the hook, the goal. We at NeXT want more for each child, parent & community where youth athletics are concerned. We want more for youth sports in our country and across the globe. We believe it’s our responsibility. 

We believe We All Got NeXT.