Contact: Teresa Cordova 277-3922 Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales 277-5920

December 17 2002 UNM PLANNING GROUP TO HOST BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FOR YOUTH Teresa Cordova and the Resource Center for Raza Planning (RCRP) in the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning have teamed up with fellow UNM partners Recreational Services and the College Enrichment Program as well as the New Mexico Athletic Association (NMAA) to host a basketball tournament for mid-schoolers on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20-21 in UNM's Johnson Center. Architecture and planning and basketball? "Community building is the foundation for our work in the Resource Center for Raza Planning. The tournament is an opportunity for us to promote sportsmanship and a balanced perspective around athletics and bring the larger community together," said Cordova. Currently organizers have seven boys' and seven girls' teams signed up. The goal is to have ten teams in each group. "It will be a double-elimination tournament, but really basketball is incidental to the event," said Cordova. Cordova said they will have opening and closing ceremonies and guest speakers. "One of the goals in community and regional planning is to bring interested parties together. During the tournament we will use those same skills to bring coaches, players, parents and referees together," she said. Cordova said that basketball people are very intense and that to get the people together will promote dialog so that each group understands the perspective of the others. "The goal is to promote the good things that sports offers - a sense of community and a culture that comes together around a common interest," she said. Each team is paying $100 to participate. A dance on Friday night will kick off the event. Following Saturday's competition, trophies will be presented to the first through third place teams and a special sportsmanship trophy will be presented. "We in the Resource Center for Raza Planning want to get more involved in youth activities," said Cordova. # # #

The University of New Mexico
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