VIDEO: Deputy Mayor Albert Akerman, liaison to the Community Center, paid a visit yesterday to the Spruce Street School’s after-school basketball program. The program, directed by Tom Ross Jr – son of former director Tom Ross Sr. – services approximately 160 children, and has about 20 volunteer coaches.

The Lakewood Youth Basketball League was established 1993 by Ross and The Lakewood Township Committee to help combat the growing gang presence in Lakewood. The league consisted of volunteer parents and coaches and through their diligent efforts, the Lakewood Youth Basketball League developed into one the premiere youth leagues in the Ocean and Monmouth County area. In 2002, Omega 13 inc., a youth mentoring organization founded by Dr. J Michael Rush, co-sponsored the league in order to bring an educational component and mentor the youth who participated in the league.

“It’s more than just basketball”, one of the volunteer coaches tells TLS. “We call it beyond the line”.

A number of years ago, Simcha Greenwald approached Tom Ross Sr., then Director of the Lakewood Township Community Center to ask if the Community Center would be available for members our the Frum community too.

“He told me at that time that “it’s all about the kids.” “That message stuck with me”, Simcha says.

A few years later, now that Tom Ross Sr. retired, his son Tommy Jr. is working at the Community Center and is involved in helping to motivate kids to keep doing the right thing.

Ross has taken over the Youth Basketball league, a Community Center Program which his father ran for 17 years and works hard to solicit help from volunteer coaches that teach fundamentals in basketball.

“The goal is to bring back Lakewood pride and to foster an excitement to do the right thing”, Ross says. “The kids do much better in the classroom also when they feel good about themselves.”

Ross added, “The league continues to thrive today with staunch support from the Deputy Mayor, Albert Ackerman and the Lakewood Township Committee.” “Working closely with the Deputy Mayor, who is bringing some new and progressive ideas to the table will ensure that the Omega 13 inc./ Lakewood Youth Basketball League continues to grow for another 18 years and provide our youth with supervised activities will have a positive impact on our community,” Ross said.

Greenwald introduced Ross to Deputy Mayor Albert Akerman, the Township liaison to the center, who has taken on a leadership roll in helping to support programs for everyone in the Lakewood Community.

“Albert is full of great ideas and does his best to implement programs”, Simcha says.

After shooting some hoops and congradulating the boys, the Deputy Mayor spoke with Ross and the coaches, and assured them that he will continue working alongside the Center, which gives the children a positive outlook on their future, within a safe environment. TLS.