ATLANTA – Want your kids to catch the spirit of March Madness®?  Then they can’t miss the free basketball clinics, for boys and girls ages 10 to 16, being conducted by some of the nation’s most successful men’s collegiate basketball coaches and student-athletes on Saturday, March 31.  The clinics, which are free but require pre-registration, will take place from 8 a.m. to noon at three different locations in Atlanta in conjunction with the 2007 NCAA Men’s Final Four. 

The Youth Education through Sports (YES) Clinics Fueled by POWERade are conducted by the National Youth Sports Corporation (NYSC).  The YES Program is the NCAA’s premier outreach to youth across the country, connecting young athletes with collegiate coaches and student-athletes to provide fundamental instruction in sports, conditioning and life skills at select collegiate championships.

The YES basketball clinics will take place at Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center, Georgia State Sports Arena and Morehouse College’s Forbes Arena.  YES basketball clinics (sports skills instruction only) will take place within the NCAA Hoop City venue at select times Friday, March 30 through Monday, April 2.  The YES Program also is teaming with Special Olympics Georgia to provide a YES experience for Special Olympics athletes in one of the Hoop City YES Clinics.  Registration is on a first come, first serve basis with limited space, therefore early pre-registration is required to ensure participation.

Participants will receive basketball instruction from NCAA coaches and student-athletes, and hear from experts in conditioning and life skills, who will conduct activities to improve mental and physical fitness both on and off the court.  The specific skill sessions will be more instructional in format, and teach the “FUN” in fundamentals of sports and life.  Participation in this clinic will allow youth to experience the excitement of the 2007 Final Four first-hand.  All participants should wear athletic shoes and be dressed for physical activity.

Every participant, in addition to the clinic instruction, will receive a souvenir YES T-shirt, printed materials on basketball skill development, nutrition and academic topics and other gift items.

Parents and/or guardians are encouraged to attend a special session specifically designed for them.  In this session, attendees will have the opportunity to discuss issues relating to youth sports, nutrition, sportsmanship, recruiting, college entrance preparation and injury prevention with experts from the community.

The Coca-Cola Company and the POWERade brand support the YES Program.  This partnership provides this free opportunity and additional benefits to participants and parents, as well as coaches and student-athletes who donate their time. 

For more information please visit www.YESClinics.org, or to obtain a clinic application, click www.nyscorp.org/yes/schedule06_07.html, and then click on the brochure for Atlanta.  If you have questions, please contact Ken Davis, with the Atlanta Local Organizing Committee at 404-233-8923 or kdavis@aloc.org.  Additional information regarding the NCAA YES Program and NYSC can be obtained at www.NYSCorp.org.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 380,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 49,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports.  For more information, visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaasports.com.