Rising Stars Youth Foundation has been using basketball to bridge the gap between athletics and academics for more than two decades. What started as a modest program for a handful of at-risk youth has blossomed into an outreach program that serves more than 350 boys and girls from 3rd through 12th grade, says founder Paul Savramis.

Q: How does Rising Stars work?

Paul Savramis: Rising Stars is a nonprofit outreach program that uses basketball as a vehicle to bring kids off the streets and put them on the court. We rely on donations and community support to provide both basketball and educational opportunities to the students we serve.

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Under Armour is one of the most prolific names in sports apparel, says Paul Savramis. But what many people don’t know is that the clothing giant is also a huge supporter of childhood athletics. They sponsor the UA Circuit, which consists of several teams ranging from youth to high school. Rising Stars Youth Foundation is lucky enough to have a few UA teams of their own.

According to Paul Savramis, in addition to the senior boys and girls  having a great run this summer the boys’ UA Future 4th 5th 6th and 7th-grade teams recently made their mark on the UA Circuit.

In Kansas City this year, the 4th graders made it to the  Final Four and the status of being listed as among the best in the country, being beaten only by the #1 team. They finished the championship  round at 13-1. At such a young age, each of these talented ball players showed passion, drive, and determination.

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In early 2019, Paul Savramis found out that the Rising Stars Youth Foundation had been selected to receive a $30,000 grant from Signature Bank to help cover the cost of an SAT prep course through A List tutoring. What does this mean for students? Keep reading to find out.

According to Paul Savramis, student-athletes in the RS Scholars program will receive free SAT tutoring from A List Tutoring, one of New York’s most sought-after educational enhancement companies. The SAT prep course is offered in addition to a college planning workshop series.

Paul Savramis explains that scholarship students receive a long list of free services including recruitment support, an essay writing workshop, and multiple SAT prep course boot camps to help prepare them for the actual SAT.

The first phase of the program was a success, with 12 Rising Stars student-athletes participating. The students brought their best with an impressive 82% overall attendance rate. It was a grueling simulation, says Paul Savramis, with 15 hours of instruction and an eight-hour practice test in an environment that fully mimicked actual testing conditions. Students in phase one took their SAT test in June. Phase 2 is set to begin in July for those taking the SAT in August.

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Rising Stars Youth Foundation founder Paul Savramis says that spring continues to be exciting for the Youth Foundations championship Junior NBA team. These select young athletes were invited to an event to celebrate the inaugural Wizenard Series Training Camp and meet basketball legend Kobe Bryant!

According to Paul Savramis, the event celebrated Kobe’s newest book and other programs produced by Bryant. Granity studios, which Bryant also founded, published the book and is known for telling creative stories that revolve around sports.

Paul Savramis said of the event, “We are thrilled to be a part of this…[and] to partner with another organization that utilizes sports to awaken the imagination of young athletes and foster emotional and mental development that allows them to reach their full potential.”

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Paul Savramis has been using basketball to teach children about life skills for over 30 years.
During that time he has had both ample time and opportunity to witness the many ways this
simple game can transform lives.

Basketball as a sport in itself, and especially when played on a team working with others in a
structured and positive environment, has many benefits. These benefits help a child’s development and make life’s lessons easier to adapt into that development but the one benefit Savramis wants to see more of is when those lessons come prepackaged with potential travel opportunities.

Q: What makes Rising Stars Youth Foundation so special?

Paul Savramis: There are many things, and possibly too many to list here. But one thing that
comes to mind at the moment is simply how grouping kids together for a common goal – in this
case, a basketball goal – changes lives. Many of the students receive scholarships for
academics and others are the first in their family history to attend a college but the opportunity
to travel, see the world outside the environment of a block or a avenue is something they may
not do ever be able to do otherwise.

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2018 saw unprecedented growth for Paul Savramis and his nonprofit organization Rising Stars Youth Foundation. Savramis explains that just one year ago Rising Stars had a single outreach program, which was hosted at the Great South Bay YMCA. Today, Rising Stars has six boys teams and two girls teams for student athletes between fourth and eighth grade.

Q: What has contributed to such growth?

Paul Savramis: Rising Stars has enjoyed tremendous success over the last three decades. We have proven that giving children a positive outlet and somewhere they can be constructive is one of the best ways to keep them off the street and in school. Our exceptional leadership team has done an amazing job of working with local YMCAs and community centers to offer our afterschool programs and summer camps to students in need.

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Paul Savramis, Art Inspired by Mothers Internationally Acclaimed Talent. Paul Savramis may be the founder of the Rising Stars Youth Foundations Basketball and Educational Platforms, but he is also the creative brains behind the non-profit marketing materials, logos and shirt designs.

In this follow up posting, Paul Savramis gets into more detail on how the addition of new RSYF directors of education, overall operations and a good right arm as his executive have given him the chance to be creative and pay homage to his late mother’s memory.

Having the luxury of some extra time and much less pressure at work day to day have allowed Savramis to revisit his early passions and do some artwork “on the side.”  

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