Are you looking to take the next step with your basketball skills? Well look no further, John Dewey has had an in-house program that could be the solution for you!
Flames is a weekend basketball organization that takes place during the school year. Multiple different age groups ranging from 8-19 years of age have the opportunity to participate. Flames has been taking place in John Dewey High School in the small gym for the entirety of its life span. This year is the Flames 50th anniversary. For half a century, this organization has been turning young athletes into skilled players, emphasizing teamwork and discipline. Flames started in 1974 and had over 22,000 players join the organization. Gerard Papa is the man who runs the organization. There are numerous awards you can win at Flames such as, rookie of the year, defensive player of the year, MVP and the championship award.
The Flames philosophy is not just about winning games, it’s about building a sense of values that extend beyond the basketball court. Through mentorship and guidance, the program has encouraged many young players, teaching them the importance of perseverance, respect, and sportsmanship.
With 50 years under its belt, the experience of the program is outstanding, teaching young raw talent the basics and also shaping the potential of players who are already good. To give a sense of fairness to everyone at the end of the season, everyone receives a trophy of participation no matter the age or skill level. Not only are the players leaving with further knowledge of the game, they are leaving with confidence they didn’t have before on the court.
As Flames looks on to the future maybe it can reach that threshold of 100 years. With 500 players a year over 50 years, Flames is the greatest non profit weekend basketball camps of all time. While basketball is the focal point of Flames, helping kids who are struggling with real life problems is also a main point of focus. Flames while teaching basketball skills, implements valuable life skills and also Founder Gerard Papa uses his word as encouragement and as something to learn from. Flames is a great / top tier basketball program, but in all it is a true family.
Gerard has been operating Flames basketball in John Dewey for 50 years. In the early stages of flames Gerard was still a lawyer founding the early stages of flames. Gerard is a very humble man as proven in these quotes here “You’re the good man in this story?” “I am not perfect,” said Papa. “No one is. But… yes.” Over the years flames have influenced and helped so many people to find a passion for basketball in all areas, like Rikers prison. Due to his past connections as a lawyer, during the middle of the season Gerard offers the opportunity to let the best of the best flame athletes play basketball in Rikers prison with the prisoners. This is a great opportunity for both parties because it can help the players in flames develop their games, and let inmates get some exercise outside of the prison.
Along with the upsides of flames there are low lights of flames. We interviewed One of the top Flames players this season Darius Sims and he says , “ I love flames but there Gerard does need help, being the only coach and backbone of flames is obviously hard at his age.” “ One of my close friends and teammates went down with an injury and Gerard was the only true adult on scene who had to handle the parents and Ems alone. Maybe if he had help things would run more fluidly”. As this quote shows flames had it downs but nothing that can’t be fixed. As Gerard grows in age it could be harder for him to manage but he is still going strong and makes flames as amazing as possible.
The Flames Basketball Program 50th anniversary is a huge occasion for all those who have been a part of its incredible journey. It serves as a reminder of the impact of basketball for the youth, the importance of dedication and teamwork, and the ability of a community to come together for a common goal. As Flames continues growing with many years to come, it does so with a passion for the game and a commitment to shaping the lives of young athletes on and off the court.