Founded in 1991, the No Books No Ball Basketball (NBNB) Program was created

by Anthony (Tony) Richards, Sr., a Dorchester (Boston) native who wanted to provide his young sons and other community youth an opportunity to learn the game of basketball along with important life-lessons regarding sportsmanship and academic achievement.

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For 30 years, the No Books No Ball Program offered an

indoor basketball league from November to April annually.

However, when the pandemic struck in March of 2020,

school buildings and other recreational facilities closed

their doors and NBNB’s traditional Fall/Winter program

was forced to take a pause.

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Throughout the rest of 2020 and through the Spring of 2021, the dangers of COVID-19 forced children to attend school from home in isolation without physical education classes and/or after school sports.  So, in June of 2021, Richards and his volunteer team decided to launched a safe outdoor summer league designed to restore the physical and mental health of Boston’s youth who were living through the restrictions of COVID-19. 

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Since the Summer of 2021, the NBNB program has enjoyed great success and has experienced a 50% increase in enrollment along with an overall expansion of programming and internal operations. We are thankful for the many generations of youth and families who continue to participate in the program and refer others to join the NBNB family!

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Our success is also rooted in our dynamic volunteer team!  Our program staff keeps pace with the growing demands of running a youth sports organization and our dedicated coaches (former high school and college basketball stars) share their life-long basketball experience and expertise with our youth. Our coaches are also dedicated parents who simply want to volunteer their time to support their children and mentor others.

 

For 34 years, Richards has been committed to increasing the high school graduation rate of our youth. He encourages student athletes to strive for academic excellence and to use basketball as a pathway to private high schools, colleges, and universities in pursuit of the American dream. Hundreds of NBNB alumni have received athletic scholarships to elite programs that have later positioned them for competitive jobs within the workforce.

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Based in Roxbury, Massachusetts, the No Books No Ball Basketball Program is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code that serves boys and girls within three divisions: Pee Wee (6-9 years old); Junior (10-13 years old); and Youth (14-17 years old).

 

 The tax identification number is 57-1138250.​​​​