Not Just Ballin

In the spring of 2008, a plan was developed to reach out to student-athletes. More than a traditional basketball tournament, Not Just Ballin’© proposes to educate and instill a sense of value in today’s youth. Tournaments will include breakout sessions and public addresses that are designed to teach life skills, create an awareness of community support, and inspire students to aspire in life with a sense of purpose. This will provide a direct venue for community leaders and educators to provide valuable knowledge, as well as an opportunity to influence the dreams and lives of future leaders.

Our first of many NJB tournaments was a great success, held July 10 & 11, 2009 in Jackson TN! So many great people came together to help make it happen.

The NJB staff worked feverishly in the two days prior to get the final details together for the tournament. We had an energetic staff meeting Friday morning, delegated last-minute errands, then reconvened that afternoon to meet with our volunteer force and begin setup. As registration began and people started arriving, the buzz and anticipation was electrifying. One local church brought 4 teams!

The Kickoff began with CEO Eric Newble addressing the crowd and setting the tone for the tournament. DJ Marcus Hendricks and NJB staffperson Darryl Brown got the crowd going by leading us in a free throw contest, Michael Jackson dance contest, and other fun activities. Mayor Jerry Gist, City Councilman Johnny Dodd and NAACP President & 101.5 radio personality Harrell Carter gave official welcomes from the city and performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Tina McClain's inspiring rendition of the National Anthem signaled it was time to play ball! The whole kickoff was very exciting and distinct from most 3 on 3 tournaments. The energy and enthusiasm set the tone for the weekend.

We had a total of 14 teams participating, and the first round of games was very close and competitive. Between games we enjoyed the rap sounds of D.O.C. and spoken word by Jamal Brady. The last game of the night went down to the final seconds.

Day Two began with CEO Eric Newble leading a contest of who could sing the NJB theme song the loudest and best. "Not Just Ballin'....Education is the way, Education is the wayyyy!" Everyone got in on this competition! Then our young people and NJB Staff participated in warmups. The games started and again there was good sportsmanship and competition. Between games we were treated to spoken word by Kimberly Morris and music by rapper Princess Black

The key focus of NJB came next when we broke out into sessions designed to teach life skills and inspire participants to aspire in life with a sense of purpose. Participants were divided by age into three groups. Darryl Brown spoke on careers, Undrae Johnson spoke on self-discipline, and Niel Magsombol spoke on learning to learn. The impact can best be heard in the words of one of the teenage participants in the careers breakout session. Mr. Brown was talking about the importance of showing respect when you apply for a job, or to get into school, etc. One young man said, "Nobody ever told me that. It makes a lot of sense the way you said it." Thank you to our speakers for instilling a sense of value in the lives of these young people.

The afternoon saw the final rounds of the tournament. The NJB Elite team finished 3-2, a great job considering they were playing kids older than them! The finals were exciting, culminating with Zion Jr High boys and Zion Jr High girls wininning the jr high championship. The NJB Jr Elite finished 3rd. The Haystreet Ballers won the high school championship.

The day finished with the "Old School vs New School Shootout" The Old School beat the New School, with Eric Newble and Leeander Newble running and scoring numerous fastbreak points, and Undrae Johnson and Lowrell Collins snagging rebounds and scoring. The young kats tried their best, but they were no match for the experience and size of the Old School players.

We want to give a big THANK YOU to EVERYONE who made this event possible: staff, volunteers, T.R. White Sportsplex, Mr. Terry Smith, sponsors, and our founders Eric & Rebecca Newble. We could not have done it without each and every one of you.


In the spring of 2008, a plan was developed to reach out to student-athletes. More than a traditional basketball tournament, Not Just Ballin’© proposes to educate and instill a sense of value in today’s youth. Tournaments will include breakout sessions and public addresses that are designed to teach life skills, create an awareness of community support, and inspire students to aspire in life with a sense of purpose. This will provide a direct venue for community leaders and educators to provide valuable knowledge, as well as an opportunity to influence the dreams and lives of future leaders.
Our first of many NJB tournaments was a great success, held July 10 & 11, 2009 in Jackson TN! So many great people came together to help make it happen. The NJB staff worked feverishly in the two days prior to get the final details together for the tournament. We had an energetic staff meeting Friday morning, delegated last-minute errands, then reconvened that afternoon to meet with our volunteer force and begin setup. As registration began and people started arriving, the buzz and anticipation was electrifying. One local church brought 4 teams! The Kickoff began with CEO Eric Newble addressing the crowd and setting the tone for the tournament. DJ Marcus Hendricks and NJB staffperson Darryl Brown got the crowd going by leading us in a free throw contest, Michael Jackson dance contest, and other fun activities. Mayor Jerry Gist, City Councilman Johnny Dodd and NAACP President & 101.5 radio personality Harrell Carter gave official welcomes from the city and performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Tina McClain's inspiring rendition of the National Anthem signaled it was time to play ball! The whole kickoff was very exciting and distinct from most 3 on 3 tournaments. The energy and enthusiasm set the tone for the weekend. We had a total of 14 teams participating, and the first round of games was very close and competitive. Between games we enjoyed the rap sounds of D.O.C. and spoken word by Jamal Brady. The last game of the night went down to the final seconds. Day Two began with CEO Eric Newble leading a contest of who could sing the NJB theme song the loudest and best. "Not Just Ballin'....Education is the way, Education is the wayyyy!" Everyone got in on this competition! Then our young people and NJB Staff participated in warmups. The games started and again there was good sportsmanship and competition. Between games we were treated to spoken word by Kimberly Morris and music by rapper Princess Black The key focus of NJB came next when we broke out into sessions designed to teach life skills and inspire participants to aspire in life with a sense of purpose. Participants were divided by age into three groups. Darryl Brown spoke on careers, Undrae Johnson spoke on self-discipline, and Niel Magsombol spoke on learning to learn. The impact can best be heard in the words of one of the teenage participants in the careers breakout session. Mr. Brown was talking about the importance of showing respect when you apply for a job, or to get into school, etc. One young man said, "Nobody ever told me that. It makes a lot of sense the way you said it." Thank you to our speakers for instilling a sense of value in the lives of these young people. The afternoon saw the final rounds of the tournament. The NJB Elite team finished 3-2, a great job considering they were playing kids older than them! The finals were exciting, culminating with Zion Jr High boys and Zion Jr High girls wininning the jr high championship. The NJB Jr Elite finished 3rd. The Haystreet Ballers won the high school championship. The day finished with the "Old School vs New School Shootout" The Old School beat the New School, with Eric Newble and Leeander Newble running and scoring numerous fastbreak points, and Undrae Johnson and Lowrell Collins snagging rebounds and scoring. The young kats tried their best, but they were no match for the experience and size of the Old School players. We want to give a big THANK YOU to EVERYONE who made this event possible: staff, volunteers, T.R. White Sportsplex, Mr. Terry Smith, sponsors, and our founders Eric & Rebecca Newble. We could not have done it without each and every one of you.

design by warrior design co. notjustballin.org © 2009. All rights reserved