Youngstown cop helps start NBA-sanctioned league for kids

YOUNGSTOWN — Shakir Perkins already does a lot for his community and country, but he still has more to give.

The Youngstown police officer has teamed up with Rayen classmate Abdur Jordan to start the Mahoning Valley Youth Basketball Association, an NBA-sanctioned junior league. The league has five divisions sorted out by age: 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14.

The idea is to provide grass-roots, beginner-level basketball to local kids, something Perkins said has been lacking in Youngstown.

“As far as I know, there hasn’t been one in this area, period,” Perkins said. “I’ve been talking about it with different people who have been working on it. It just seemed like the right thing to do for this area since both my partner and I are from this area.”

Visit Vindy.com later and read Tuesday's Vindicator sports section for complete details.