KC kids learn more than basketball in this elite league investing in education | Opinion
On a recent Saturday at Gregg/Klice Community Center in Kansas City, 10-year-old cousins Pierre DeClue, Jr. and Kameron Craig shot baskets with a group of kids in the Mayor’s Night Hoops summer program.
I pulled them both to the side to ask them about something that should be near and dear to all of our hearts: education.
Pierre attends the Kauffman School in Kansas City while Kameron attends West Englewood Elementary School in the North Kansas City School District.
“I like to read,” Pierre said.
Kameron added: “I love science.”
Pierre and Kameron are teammates on Hoop Nation KC’s 11-under fifth-grade team. The squad is considered one of the best around in their age group, according to Hoop Nation founder and coach Pierre DeClue, Sr.
“We’re the No. 1 team in the country,” DeClue said that day at the community center in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District.
Basketball talent aside, what impressed me most in learning more about Hoop Nation’s youth development program is its approach to education. The nonprofit offers tutoring to close to 80 boys and girls in the program. Because of that very important component, the United Way of Greater Kansas City recently awarded Hoop Nation a $30,000 grant to help expand those free educational services to all students in the Kansas City area.
Sites include local community centers and the Kauffman School, according to DeClue. Tutoring services are open to everyone, not just Hoop Nation athletes, DeClue said. He added the United Way grant would allow the organization to serve more families.
“We’re building champions in the classroom and in the community — not just on the court,” DeClue said in a statement.
On its website announcing recipients of awards known as nonprofit catalyst grants, the United Way writes: “Hoop Nation exists to leverage the game of basketball as a gateway to academic engagement, empowering youth to achieve their full potential in the classroom and beyond.”
Top fifth-grade team in US
Hoop Nation boasts one of the top youth basketball teams around. The 11-under squad won at least five national tournaments this spring and summer, DeClue said.
It helps when the organization succeeds beyond the basketball court. But national acclaim for its play on it isn’t a bad deal, either. Striking a fine balance between sports and academics is never an easy task, but Hoop Nation provides an example of how allowing your children to play elite sports doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice their grades.
According to Scope Scouting, a website that covers amateur sports, this burgeoning crew of little hoopers topped the list of fifth-grade teams in the nation. That designation is nothing to look past. These days, youth sports are competitive. It’s no small feat being among the nation’s best.
The Kansas City Council should consider honoring this group for its recent accomplishments, including winning the Mid-America Youth Basketball National Championship tournament in Wichita earlier this month.
The team also took home first place at the Adidas 3 Stripes Select Basketball National tournament last month in Rock Hill, South Carolina and won three other big time tournaments since March.
Longtime summer Night Hoops program
At Gregg/Klice Community Center, Hoop Nation was one of the hosts for an end-of-summer celebration to conclude the annual Mayor’s Night Hoops program.
Started in 1992 by former Mayor Emanuel Cleaver, Night Hoops is a longstanding educational, recreational and athletic program to help keep kids busy during summer weekend nights. And busy Hoop Nation was this summer — on and off the court.
Despite a growing national reputation, Hoop Nation was honored to participate in the Night Hoops’ event, DeClue said.
“When we do Night Hoops, it’s bigger than just basketball,” DeClue told people in attendance. He then directed them to take advantage of Hoop Nation’s academic resource fair on site during the celebration.
“Please, please utilize the vendors,” DeClue said. “They are here for your support.”
At the event, the mood was festive. Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department employees who manage Night Hoops were in attendance, as were members of various teams that competed in the program.
A DJ played family-friendly hip-hop and R&B music, and coaches introduced their players and placed medals around the players’ necks.
Some coaches used the time to highlight each player’s development over the summer, their academic achievements and their individual growth. A few players took the microphone to thank their coaches. Others gave testimonials about some of the lessons they learned from Night Hoops.
The celebration included a sensational drum-fueled performance by a local dance team and an address from Mayor Quinton Lucas.
In his brief remarks, Lucas thanked the Night Hoops staff and encouraged adults to keep investing into the future of young people.
“Part of why we do what we do is to make sure that they have activities, that they know that they are loved and more than anything, Mayor’s Night Hoops and everything that we are about is making sure we celebrate and center them,” Lucas said.
Bigger than basketball
Before the event, DeClue talked about the importance of education. We agreed that athletics can provide a means to furthering a young person’s education beyond high school. DeClue should know. He was a college basketball player at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley and at Lincoln University in Jefferson City. He understands the intricacies and time constraints of being a student-athlete better than most.
DeClue said his goal when he started Hoop Nation in 2023 with just one group of 8- and 9-year-olds was to provide them a foundation built on academics and athletics.
Two years in, I’d say Hoop Nation is off to a fantastic start. And the best part is DeClue and nonprofit group are offering free educational services to other Kansas City-area children free of cost.
Anyone interested in tutoring services offered by the organization should visit Hoop Nation’s website at hoopnationkc.org or email DeClue at hoopnationkc@gmail.com
This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 8:29 AM.
