Over the years a good deal of time and finances have been spent on various social awareness programs in the United States and globally. Using basketball as a vehicle to attract millions of youth to address serious social illnesses such as, crime, drug abuse, sexual activities etc., this program will in a short period of time reach its full potential in attracting these numbers.

In contrast to many educational venues, basketball offers opportunities to develop both individual and team oriented skills. When children are involved in basketball, they more readily learn constructive, life enhancing concepts that are transferable to their everyday lives. The LRPR program has developed a core curriculum that merges court related exercises with daily living skills. The LRPR curriculum includes topics that address:

• Self respect
• Decision making processes
• Respect for your team
• Honesty, impartiality & fairness
• Love yourself and those nearby and afar
• Doing the right thing when no one is watching
• Continuity in ethical behavior in all aspects of life
• Understanding cultural diversity
• Personal responsibility
• Personal goal setting & follow through

Most importantly, enhancing the mind with tools to build self-esteem.

Program Activities

The lessons in the LRPR curriculum will encourage youth to:

• Understand personal and professional goal setting options
• Create opportunities for self-reflection about their lives and futures
• The reality, importance, and viability of their financial and entrepreneurial activities and achievements
• Encouragement for future achievements
• How to continuously ask questions
• Find an adult/teacher/mentor/peer that they can trust to tell him/her what they want to learn and achieve in life
• Increase they're understanding of communities and cultures around the world
• Volunteer in their community with various agencies and organizations
• Feel good about who they are

Who can participate? Individuals between the ages of 8 and 21.

When will these activities take place? During after school hours and on the weekend. To complete the curriculum a time frame of 12 weeks is needed.

Where will LRPR take place? In the continental United States and in overseas countries with host international American schools as the base of operations. At any school or recreational facility with ample room for large numbers to gather.

I. Youth Health & Career Training

Participants will attend workshops that will discuss items in the LRPR curriculum. The curriculum as outlined will include:

Week 1. Knowledge of Self
Week 2. Develop strong communication skills
Week 3. Leadership: Taking charge of your life
Week 4. Life Skills: You; Your job; Your career
Week 5. Saving for your education: Cost, benefits, and planning
Week 6. Thinking ahead: Developing a financial plan
Week 7. Put some aside: Budgeting
Week 8. Risky Business: Risk; Reward; Return
Week 9. Where's the money
Week 10. Living a long, happy and healthy life
Week 11. Enhance your community
Week 12. Act on positive life enhancing opportunities

II. Peer to Peer Education

The core elements of the LRPR peer to peer program is to work together with a partner or group to discuss and/or solve issues pertaining to them. Learn from each other with a group effort

• Conduct a community outreach program using peer volunteers
• Having one-on-one discussions based on the clients stage of readiness to change one's life
• Use printed stories about community members safe sex decisions ("role model" stories)
• Solicit program support from community organizations and businesses
• The use of group activities that will include theatrical skits emphasizing health, ethics, and careers

A team receives an orientation on a health issue of interest and concern to them. Teams will learn how to maintain their health and help their friends and family stay healthy. Local medical staff will participate in the orientation, and offer follow up information, counseling and services to players and participants.

Team captains will volunteer to continue to encourage healthy behavior among their teammates. Volunteers are provided with printed materials to help remind players of the importance of healthy lifestyles, and reinforce the information provided in the orientations.

Peer educators are linked with local medical staff whom the educators can refer teammates with health questions or concerns.

Good health ambassadors will be recognized by community leaders in public ceremonies for their community service.

III. Leadership Workshops (Outside the USA)

Community leaders will attend workshops on counseling and coaching players in not only sport but also personal matters, reproductive health concerns and the transmission of STD's. These will be residential and/or commuter camps. Camp activities will include daily lectures and drills on the basic fundamentals of basketball and breakdown of the game -- shooting, passing, dribbling, moving with and without the ball, setting and using screens, and offensive/ defensive moves. These coaches will then fan themselves throughout the country reaching participants in their respective communities. All will participate in daily scrimmages.

IV. Community Outreach Clinics

Clinics will be held on-site at selected campuses as well as off on pre-existing courts throughout the country. On-site clinics will be in a position to teach the fundamentals of the game in a group-like setting for up to six hours a day. Clinics will be taught by highly qualified and experienced coaches that have the ability and know-how to reach the multitudes. All aspects of the game will be covered.

These clinics will be held on the weekend and refreshments will be provided as well as music for entertainment purposes from the personal address system that will travel with the IBA team.

V. IBA Matches and Tournaments

Basketball teams agree to compete in a match or tournament to attract large groups of individuals to participate in health education activities. IBA staff and participants will also participate in other campaigns that are already in progress with the sole purpose of jointly combating social illnesses that plague the country.

Before each match, popular team members will make personal appearances on television, radio, and print material, to publicize the match and the health promotional cause. Health promotion materials featuring the competing team participants as spokespersons will be printed and distributed before and during the matches. Tickets will have health messages printed on them.

During the matches, invited dignitaries will give health messages. Health information and referral booths at the gymnasium site will be staffed with trained counselors to provide information. Signs and banners reinforcing health messages will be addressed over the public address system and through distributed materials. Matches will often be broadcast on television and radio, with health education spots played during the broadcast.

After the match, entertaining videos with relevant health education messages may be shown to spectators. Program organizers arrange for exit intercept interviews to determine the clarity, acceptance, and impact of the health education activity on fans.

VI. IBA - USA Invitational Tournaments

Tournaments will be organized for high school boys and girls participating on the varsity level. These teams will play in various parts of the United States with the champion being allowed to travel overseas for the IBA Championship which will be announced annually.

Boys and girls from various economic backgrounds will be given the opportunity to travel to another continent too not only learn about the game of basketball but to learn something about other cultures as well.

VII. LiveRight-PlayRight Afterschool Program

A problem many working parents face is knowing and being a part of the actions their children partake after the final bell rings at school. In these times a majority of homes have two working parents or in the case of a single family home one full time working parent. The LRPR Afterschool Care Program will allow parents the opportunity to place their children in a program that will occupy minds for a period of two hours after school.

The LRPR program will take place at any school in any city or suburb.

VIII. Scholarships for Participants to Live/Travel Abroad

Entities have often offered individuals the ability to travel and play abroad…albeit at a very steep price. However, most children cannot afford the exorbitant fees to partake in these activities. Scholarships will be offered for these individuals to extend their awareness of the world and other cultures with scholarships from the IBA. These scholarships will only be awarded to individuals who have excelled as academians and sportsman.

IX. LiveRight-PlayRight.org (LR-PR.org)

All participants will be able to correspond with other IBA participants with the official IBA interactive web site. Merchandise can be purchased from this site as well.