The mission of the Gator Ball Academy Summer Camps is to provide activites that are entertaining, educational, and provide a model of healthy living.
 Larry "Gator" Rivers
Harlem Globetrotters
  At age seven, Larry Rivers was fascinated by Marques Haynes' ball handling skills in the movie "Go Man Go."  On his way home from the theater, Rivers told his mother he wanted to be a Harlem Globetrotter, so she bought him a basketball at the local pawn shop and he started practicing his ball handling skills.
  Sixteen years later, Rivers' boyhood dream came true.  Marques Haynes held a tryout for Rivers, who at the time was an All-Conference guard at Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph, Missouri.
  Haynes kept in touch after being impressed with Rivers' extraordinary control of the basketball and two summers later, Rivers was asked to attend a formal try-out for the Globetrotters.
  From 1973 to 1986 Larry "Gator" Rivers was the premier dribbler and served his last six years as a player/coach.  During his playing years, Gator was hailed as the greatest ball handler in the world.
  Since leaving the Globetrotters, Rivers has formed a youth foundation, the Gatorball Academy.  Gator Rivers still practices his skills and sometimes adds new tricks to his ball handling repertoire, but now is most concerned with helping kids find the right path to personal success.
 



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David Naves

Mr. David Naves Biography

Mr. David Naves has a strong desire to encourage our youth to be the best they can be. He believes that with vision, passion, purpose, guidance, and planning, our youth can be successful in all of their endeavors; be it academic, sports, business, or relationships.  Mr. Naves was born and raised on the south side of Chicago.  He had always been passionate about basketball, science, and technology.  Making a living doing any of these would be a dream come true.  That being his vision, he attended Lindblom Technical HS (a STEM school).  His parents as well as teachers and coaches at Lindblom Tech. were phenomenal and provided him the guidance that would shape his future education and business endeavors.   Mr. Naves, a gifted high school basketball player, earned Chicago All-city and Illinois Honorable Mention All-state honors.  Mr. Naves was heavily recruited by some of the top colleges and universities in the country including the University of Iowa, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Kansas and chose to attend and play basketball at Northern Illinois University.  After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree from NIU, Mr. Naves went on to play for the world famous Harlem Globetrotters in 1971-72 performing around the world including Canada, Australia/Tasmania, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, Hawaii, and New Caledonia.   After the Globetrotters, Mr. Naves has held engineering, management, or executive positions with Ford Motor Company/Body Engineering, CSX Rail, Jackson and Tull, and Swales Aerospace.  Mr. Naves holds 3 patents for railcar designs.  He was also the CEO and founder of EG&L Systems, Inc.  He is currently a Director of Engineering and the Deputy Program Manager -Systems Engineering for SGT, Inc.  SGT provides engineering services to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s programs and projects in Greenbelt, MD.   Mr. Naves is also an active member with the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA).  The mission of the NBRPA is to assist former NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotters, and WNBA players in their transition from the playing court into life after the game while also positively impacting communities and youth through basketball.  Passionate about giving back to the community, Mr. Naves has coached and given youth basketball clinics and is actively involved with his church.  He really enjoys speaking to youth about careers in science, engineering, and technology.  Mr. Naves is married and has 3 adult children.  He resides in Bowie, Maryland.  

Sports inside and out.

  Listen live / go to Sports Byline for affiliate stations or click to listen live @ 11:09 EST every Saturday/ same time on iHeart radio ( Clear Channel) /go to iHeart radio Sports Byline /Sports inside and Out /legends show / also on American Forces Network./ now being aired on  Kiss 92.1 FM

Communication is the name of the game. Advertisement makes it even more powerful. The GlobeTrotters have been separated for so many years that it has hurt us in the economic and individual popularity aspects of our lives. We are attempting to start a radio show of the United former Harlem GlobeTrotters. For the national show that will air at 11:09, the call in number is 415-434-2944, and you simply say GlobeTrotter waiting. In the morning, we will have a blog and you call in at 9:00 am 347-945-7678. Too long have our voices been silenced. The reunion of the GlobeTrotters will be fun for you and your family. If you were only there a day, and you only made a dolla', please call and holla'.

The history of the GlobeTrotters is important. I want each GlobeTrotter to send in a 2-5 page history. The history as in which you see the GlobeTrotters. WE need to tell our own true story. There are young GlobeTrotters that don't know that the original GlobeTrotters played the second game when the NBA played the first game, to gain popularity. A woman called me to find out what form of GlobeTrotters played in the negro league. I am informed her of Goose Tatum, P Woods, and the great Birmingham Sam, who played in the movie "Bingo long all stars"

Please send an email including your 2-5 page history, and your favorite picture of the GlobeTrotters to Tobi Ogunwuyi. The contact info is below.

Tobi Ogunwuyi

City College

917-828-7428

tobiogun@msn.com

Your bio will be redone so you can become marketable for speaking engagement and appearances. Buffy has agreed to market your bio. Contact her at:

Buffy Filippell
Buffy@teamworkonline.com
216-360-1790

Up and Coming GlobeTrotter reunion!

   You will get to meet and greet the globe trotters from the past! The GlobeTrotters from the past will also get to share their history and present day events. No GlobeTrotter will have an event without another GlobeTrotter being there. I.e, the oldest GlobeTrotter is Zeigler Vertes who played against the Minneapolis Lakers. Then you have Pony Wilson and Georgie Moore that are the last two remaining players that had their role in "Go man Go", with Sidney Poitier. All GlobeTrotters, I Want you to call Ron Mix. Contact him Via cell at (949)-592-7878.  This is a form you have to fill out for medical disability, which may end up with you receiving a large piece of economics. Please fill this form out before December 29th. this form is a workers compensation form. Below, we also would like you to join the legends of the former Harlem GlobeTrotters.

file://localhost/Users/student/Downloads/NBRPA%20Membership%20Benefits%20%20(June)%202014.pdf

   One of the most important things is to advertise and promote whatever it is you are doing in your community. For example, Tom Long is doing a program in the North Carolina Area, in which he is reviving the recreational program for the youth. Also, Gator Rivers is having his annual basketball camp and is having an All-Star, basketball clinic in Columbia, South Carolina.