A free basketball tournament promoting community and nonviolence will bring 25 teams to Albuquerque’s Westside on Saturday, July 26.
The 1st Annual Summer of Nonviolence: Above the Rim 5-on-5 Basketball Tournament kicks off at 8 a.m. at the Westside Community Center, 12520 Isleta Blvd SW. It’s open to players 15 and older, with four divisions: Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Co-Ed and High School.
Organizers said the tournament is full, with teams from across the city ready to compete. Games run 20 minutes or end when a team scores 15 points. Free food will be available for players, and food trucks will be on site for spectators.
The event is part of the city and county’s Summer of Nonviolence program, a response to the seasonal rise in violence. So far, more than 200 people have taken the program’s nonviolence pledge, and another 200 youth joined a basketball camp last week.
“When we help young people find direction and purpose, we’re helping them stay on track and out of trouble,” Mayor Tim Keller said in a June city press release.