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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2018)
Leading with Diversity If They Build it, Kids Will Come From Mayor’s Office to TriMet Exec See Local News, page 3 ‘City of Roses’ Community raises fund for playground See Metro, page 9 Volume XLVII • Number 23 www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • June 13, 2018 Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity photo by J eff h inds Adidas International Elite 16U is an amateur youth basketball team lead by Nate Bowie, who spent eight years as an international professional basketball player. He takes his knowledge of the ins and outs of the game to provide more opportunities for kids in the younger 8th-10th grades, and giving them more exposure to college recruiters than would normally be possible. “I think it’s a little more con- ducive for a kid to get a full-ride scholarship if he gets seen four years in a row instead of getting seen one or two years,” Bowie said. Using his eight years of ex- by d anny p eterson perience as an international pro- t he p ortland o bserver fessional basketball player for A basketball team for youth is several teams, including Canada, changing the game when it comes Morocco, Greece, Kosovo, and to giving kids opportunities to many others, Bowie said he’s try- college scholarships and putting ing to pass down his knowledge of them on track to a professional doing business on a global scale athletic career. to up and comers. The team is Adidas International Elite 16U sponsored by Adidas with added team was started by three Afri- can-American men late last year ketball recruitment resource Prep summer Amateur Athletic Union said, whereas his approach has support from some of his friends (AAU) season, as well as special already resulted in his younger and business associates, includ- looking to give back: Mt. Hood Hoops. Together, head coach Bowie tournaments sponsored by big freshman and sophomore play- ing active professional basketball Community College coach and former professional basketball and assistant coach Brown worked name athletic wear companies like ers getting looks and offers from players, from different countries. “If I had that type of exposure player Nate Bowie; Allan Brown, to recruit Portland, Tacoma, and Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour. NCAA Division I recruiters. He when I was younger I would’ve Normally AAU teams expose also said other amateur teams in a coach at Lower Columbia Seattle area hopefuls from the 8th done even better internationally. Community College; and Qayi to 10th grades to compete in cir- mostly older high school juniors the U.S. rarely, if at all, compete Steplight, an Olympia, Wash. cuits in the mid-west, the south, and seniors to tournaments where internationally, which also sets C ontinued on p age 4 resident working for college bas- and Canada over the spring and there are college scouts, Bowie them apart. Coach offers kids opportunity for success More Than a Game