Monday, August 2, 2010

Brother Melo (Carmelo Anthony) Basketball Program & Tournament

Coach Damon Lawrence-Brother Melo

Damon Lawrence and Karl Sanders are co-founders and directors of the Brother Melo basketball program in Brooklyn, New York. Damon is a former youth coach at New Heights and Karl is head coach at Grady High School in Brooklyn. The program operates from Fort Green community center.

Brother Melo is akin to Team Melo in Baltimore, but somehow they receive less funding. Both programs are sponsored by Carmelo Anthony who is a former Baltimore resident and now apart of the Denver Nuggets team. Coach Lawrence says, " Carmelo was born in Red Hook and moved at age nine". So, technically Carmelo Anthony is a NYC native. 


Coach Lawrence says, "We're really pushing our Literacy Art Program." He encourages kids and even adults to visit the library or read a book at home. "We focus on enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society," said Coach Lawrence. 

Brother Melo is currently running a competitive tournament in Brooklyn. They also have fundraisers to help cover their program expenses. Although, coach Lawrence agrees with exposure, he opposes middle school rankings. However, we think they're going to be real big in 2011. Stay tuned, as we bring you more on Brother Melo's academic initiatives.