Philadelphia Youth Basketball

10/01/2026

We’re proud to share that Philadelphia Youth Basketball received the Public Impact Leadership Award at Preservation Pennsylvania’s 2026 Historic Preservation Awards.

This honor recognizes the collective vision and partnership behind the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center — now a vibrant hub for basketball, learning, mentorship, wellness, and opportunity.

We’re grateful to every PYB colleague and Board member, past and present, and to the partners who helped bring the Center to life: Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP, D3 Development LLC, Pride Enterprises, Inc., Dimitri J. Ververelli, Inc., O'Donnell & Naccarato, Cornerstone Consulting Engineers & Design Services, Inc., Acentech, and TBS Services Group.

Thank you to Preservation Pennsylvania for this recognition!

09/29/2026

Think your squad has what it takes? Time to show us! 🏀🔥

On Wednesday, October 28, starting at 9 AM, PYB will host Play It Forward, a new 3v3 basketball fundraiser bringing together companies, colleagues, friends, and supporters from across the PYB community.

Build your squad of up to four and test your skills in 3v3 competition or join us as a spectator to catch the action and take part in skills competitions.

It’s a day to compete, connect, and have some fun, all while supporting PYB’s work with young leaders from kindergarten through age 29.

We’re grateful to the Play It Forward Host Committee for helping bring this new event to life, including Maxx Hofmann, Partner at Conner Strong & Buckelew, and Luke DeLuca, Managing Director at Global Real Estate Advisors Inc.!

👉 Build your team, attend as a spectator, or learn more:
https://give.phillyyouthbasketball.org/event/play-it-forward-3v3-tournament/e839149?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=play_it_forward_3v3&utm_content=launch_post

Sponsorship opportunities are also available from $1,000–$10,000. Contact Julia Green at [email protected].

Tag the teammates you’d want on your squad. 👇

09/27/2026

Ahead of introducing the Generator to Philadelphia, participants from PYB’s Varsity Trades Academy joined the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters for a hands-on carpentry workshop at the future Generator site.

They measured. They learned. They worked alongside industry professionals. And they gave us a glimpse of the kind of career-connected learning the Generator will make possible at a much greater scale.

VTA is already creating opportunities for young adults ages 18–29 to explore skilled trades and manufacturing through hands-on training, professional development, employer engagement, and connections to employment pathways. The Generator of Career Development & Economic Opportunity will give this work room to grow!

Learn more about the Generator:
https://www.phillyyouthbasketball.org/thegenerator?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=generator&utm_content=vta_workshop

09/26/2026

When we introduced the Generator of Career Development & Economic Opportunity on September 25, we heard from young leaders, elected officials, education and industry partners, and community leaders about the opportunities ahead.

Most importantly, we heard from Amin Ray, a PYB participant whose experience helped bring the Generator's vision to life.

Thank you to Amin, Reverend Marshall Mitchell, Kenny Holdsman, Mayor Cherelle Parker, Governor Josh Shapiro, State Senator Vincent Hughes, Cat Bird, David W. Brown, and Rob Smith for joining us and sharing their perspectives.

Their voices represented different sectors and experiences, but the message was clear: creating stronger connections between young people, training, relationships, and meaningful careers takes all of us.

🎥 Watch the full speaking program: https://youtu.be/4ZOxygX0JQg

Learn more about the Generator and what we’re building:
https://www.phillyyouthbasketball.org/thegenerator?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=generator&utm_content=speakers_recap

09/25/2026

We planted the flag! 🚩🎉

A milestone moment for PYB as participants from our Varsity Trades Academy marked the future site of the Generator of Career Development & Economic Opportunity. It’s a flag in the ground for what comes next: more opportunities to learn, build skills, make connections, and explore meaningful career pathways.

Learn more:
https://www.phillyyouthbasketball.org/thegenerator?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=generator&utm_content=flag_planting_reel

09/25/2026

A flag in the ground for what comes next. 🏁

Today, we officially introduced Philadelphia to the Generator of Career Development & Economic Opportunity and launched a $50 million capital campaign to bring the 40,000-square-foot facility to life.

And there was no better way to mark the moment than having participants from our Varsity Trades Academy plant a flag at the future site of the Generator.
That flag represents more than where a building will rise. It marks the next chapter of PYB’s Kinder-to-Career vision—creating stronger connections between young people, hands-on learning, career pathways, relationships, and economic opportunity.

We’re excited about what comes next, and we’re inviting Philadelphia to help build it with us.

Learn more about the Generator and start a conversation:
https://www.phillyyouthbasketball.org/thegenerator?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=generator&utm_content=flag_planting_launch

09/21/2026

For the first time, PYB is opening our Middle School Partnership Program to more schools across Philadelphia! 🏀

MSPP gives schools the opportunity to keep ownership of their team while PYB brings the infrastructure around it—from 16+ Saturday games and league operations to coach development and 15+ intentional off-court learning sessions.

Because the experience is about more than what happens during the game. It’s about helping young people strengthen skills, relationships, leadership, and confidence they can carry beyond the court.

🏫 Interested in bringing MSPP to your school for 2026–27?
Start the partnership conversation with DaTwan Bolden at [email protected] or (267) 209-3191.

09/15/2026

Sometimes the career advice that sticks with you is the advice you weren’t expecting! In this clip from Bryn Mawr Trust’s Planning Perspectives Podcast, PYB Co-Founder, President & CEO Kenny Holdsman shares a formative moment from early in his legal career—and a lesson that has stayed with him ever since: A great career comes from finding the intersection of your knowledge and skills with your values and passions.

That idea ultimately speaks to how we think about career and future readiness at PYB, too. It’s not simply about preparing young people for a job. It’s about creating opportunities to explore what they’re good at, what matters to them, and where those things can take them.

🎥 Hear Kenny tell the story, then check out the full conversation on Episode 25 of Planning Perspectives: Building Futures Beyond Sports by visiting https://lnkd.in/g_AK_ix8.

09/15/2026

School’s out? We’ve got the day covered! 🏀📚

PYB’s School Closure Holiday Clinics give kids in grades K–9 a full day of basketball, enrichment, mentorship, and fun in a safe, supportive environment.

🍎 Healthy breakfast + lunch provided
⏰ 8 AM–4 PM | Late pickup until 4:30 PM

Register today:
https://phillyyouthbasketball.leagueapps.com/classes/5096846-2026-27-sy-pyb-school-closure-holiday-clinics-grades-k-9?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=holiday_clinics_2026&utm_content=post

09/14/2026

Basketball may be the starting point, but the future is the bigger picture! 🏀

PYB Co-Founder, President & CEO Kenny Holdsman joined Jamie Hopkins and Kate Duffy on Bryn Mawr Trust’s Planning Perspectives Podcast to talk about purpose-driven leadership and what it means to invest in the whole person.

The conversation explores PYB’s approach to using basketball as a powerful environment for youth development—connecting young people to mentorship, learning, wellness, career exposure, relationships, and opportunities that extend far beyond the court. That reflects PYB’s broader Kinder-to-Career approach: creating connected support and opportunities across each stage of development.

🎧 Listen to Episode 25, “Building Futures Beyond Sports: A Conversation with Kenny Holdsman" at https://youtu.be/YyETaoSvjaQ?si=MFZiUY7kOZAljp8h

Thank you to Jamie, Kate, and the Bryn Mawr Trust team for the conversation and for helping share the PYB story!

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