White Station won the MAM title. Front row: TaDa Foreman, Larry Finch, Dominic Brown, Amauri Abner, Durias Dyer, Dorian George, I. Nash.
Back row: Coach Ronald McClain, Kolbi Hilson, Hunter Kendall, Alden Applewhite, Davon Barnes, Jelani Willis, Willie Foreman, and Rain Watkins.
The Commercial Appeal, all weeklies, January 19, 2016
By Anne Chambers, Special to the Weekly
Memphis Athletic Ministries concluded its milestone 23rd Annual Christmas Classic Tournament on January 2nd. The Classic serves as the ministry’s primary fundraiser. This year’s title sponsor was Impact Logistics. Other sponsors were Premier Transportation Services, Huey’s, the Memphis Grizzlies Juice Plus+, Sweet Lala’s Bakery, Memphis Communications Corporation and Choose 901.
In the eighth grade boys championship, Coach Ronald McClain’s boys from White Station Middle School defeated the American Way Eagles 50 – 43. For the second year, the White Station Spartans took home first place. In the eighth grade girls championship, the Colonial Lady Patriots won 50-48 in a nail biter over the Hickory Ridge Lady Wildcats.
Most Valuable Players were Alden Applewhite, White Station Spartans, and EnDya Buford, Colonial Lady Patriots. Players on the All-tournament team were Amauri Abner and Alden Applewhite from White Station and EnDya Buford, Taylor Woodhouse, and Michaela Dockey.
Colonial Middle School girls won the MAM title. The team consisted of Demia Bess, EnDya Buford Micah Calvin, Monique Chew, Michaela Dockery, Kayla Dotson, Karrington Edwards, Alindsey Long, Michayla Mitchell, Amya Mull, Illa Sharp, Nakiyah Westbrook, Taylor Woodhouse and Makhia Williams.
All proceeds from the tournament go towards the after-school mentoring programs that MAM provides for more than 860 boys and girls after school, on Saturdays and during the summer. MAM offers these programs through eight neighborhood youth centers in disadvantaged Memphis communities. The ministry offers various sports programs and leagues for youth to participate in such as basketball, soccer and golf.
MAM, still, is much more than sports.
At each neighborhood center qualified staff help boys and girls with their reading and homework, teach career readiness skills, lead Bible studies and work to instill spiritual growth and personal responsibility in each youth. MAM’s goal is to develop youth into Christ-centered, productive adults who positively impact their families, their neighborhoods and Memphis.
For more information, go to mamsports.org.
