dreams tournament
In Nigeria, especially in the rural communities, there are no organized sports. Kids play sports for fun, often playing in areas that are not ideal with limited equipment. They practice relentlessly to hone their talents and skills, but they lack the structural organization to display and test their skills, or to get coaching and critical feedback that would develop them as athletes.
There is immense potential in Nigerian youth for excellence in athletics, as Nigeria is considered one of the top 10 most athletic countries in the world. You can also see this in the percentage of Nigerian athletes who make it to the professional level - but lacking the pathways to express that excellence or to showcase it to the correct people leaves many talented players and athletes defeated and stuck.
By combining the structure of an organized tournament with the immense experience of our founder (who played collegiate basketball on a nationally ranked team), The Dreams Tournament aims to give passionate players the chance to showcase their talent, get critical feedback to understand where they need to focus their practice further, and an opportunity to be recognized for scholarships and other life-changing help from outside of Nigeria.
Our First year
In 2021, we hosted the first annual tournament at Lekam Salami Stadium. The turnout was incredible, with 30-40 players competing, plus many more spectators. For the first day, we ran 3-on-3 games to gauge the skill level of the players. On the second day, we created teams of 5 - selected to be evenly matched in their overall skill spread - to compete against one another in a full court tournament style elimination. Teams were given player packages, as well as awarded for winning. To accomplish all of this, we hired referees, coaches, photographers, and other technicians from the local communities. At times the arena we were in was packed - and every spectator walked away with something. The University of Virginia provided generous donations for us to bring to the host community. It's difficult to overstate how important this event was in the lives of those who participated.
looking forward
The second annual Dreams Tournament included a day for female athletes to showcase their talents! We are so excited about the potential and excellence that we see in Nigerian youth, and we can't wait for you to see it, too!
This nod to our roots is an important part of our programming and, while we are expanding clean water access and rural school improvement across sub-Saharan Africa, the Dreams Tournament will remain in Ibadan, Nigeria (…for now!)
