La Liga del Barrio

La Liga del Barrio is Philadelphia's first Latino youth basketball league and it offers Latino youth an opportunity to develop basketball skills and enjoy the game while also promoting educational achievement. The league is open for boys and girls ages 6 to 16 and consists of 28 teams. Each player receives an official La Liga Del Barrio T-shirt, and selected participants have the opportunity to play on the 76ers home court prior to a game and scrimmage at halftime.

Download the 2009-10 application form here.

Sixers help tip-off the 2008-09 La Liga Del Barrio league at Thomas Edison High School

First-year 76ers guard Royal Ivey and Sixers Ambassador of Basketball World B. Free helped run a basketball clinic to tip-off the 2008-09 La Liga Del Barrio league at Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia on yesterday afternoon.

"It was beautiful coming out here today. I thought we had a great reception, the crowd was into it and all of the drills went well," Free said. "We’d like to compliment Royal Ivey for coming out and giving up his time for the community and they will love him back for it."

Free and Ivey spoke to community members about life and how basketball helped them obtain their career goals. Hip-Hop, the Hare-Raisers and members of the Sixers Dance Team joined the duo to help get the crowd excited during the annual tip-off event.

“We’ve been doing this the last eight years and it’s been great because we are able to provide for those with not many recreational outlets. We gave tickets, hats and backpacks out tonight for the winners of the competitions. But really they’re all winners,” Free said. “We just try to make it competitive so everyone will have fun.”

Free served as vocal leader during the clinic and Ivey stepped in as coach helping the boys and girls run through drills.

Over the last eight years La Liga Del Barrio has given Philadelphia’s Latino youth an organized basketball league for boys and girls ages 6 to 17. La Liga has grown to 28 teams with 12 players per team. The kids were able to showcase their talents throughout the course of the night, while Free and Ivey offered basketball pointers and encouraged them to continue to strive for success.

“It was great coming out here tonight to give back to the community and do our best to bring smiles to the kids faces. Running a clinic for these kids was one of the nicest ways to give back and I’m happy I was able to be a part of this,” Ivey said.

La Liga del Barrio: February 27, 2008

During their game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday February 26th the 76ers honored members of La Liga del Barrio. La Liga is Philadelphia's first Latino youth basketball league. Director and Coordinator of La Liga Raymond Alvarez says the league’s goals are to not only teach children basketball skills, but to promote educational achievement.

“We emphasize education by setting up progress reports for the children so that they do well in school,” Alvarez said. “We want them to know that [education] is just as important, if not more important to have that piece of the puzzle in place.”

Alvarez said that grades determine playing time, so if the children aren’t doing well in school, they don’t get the opportunity to play on the court either. La Liga also stresses prayer. Although it is non-denominational, Alvarez says its good to teach children some aspect of religion because it gives them morals and guidance.

Before the Sixers and Magic game started La Liga held their semi-finals on the Sixers court. Robert Morales and Ariel Rogers were honored in front of the Wachovia Center crowd before tip-off for their outstanding play and hard work in the classroom. During half-time, two teams participated in a scrimmage and afterwards the players got to meet 76er’s center Samuel Dalembert, who doubles as the Honorary Commissioner of La Liga.

For Alvarez the best reward is to see how much joy the league brings to the kids and to see their eyes light up when they see the Sixers.

“Even the older kids, you would think they have been here by now; but not with our kids, they haven’t had the opportunity. So when you see a 16 or 17 year-old kid’s eyes light up, you know something is missing and the Sixers are that missing piece.”

Alvarez couldn’t praise the Sixers enough for their support.

“The 76ers support is monumental, without their support this league wouldn’t exist,” Alvarez said. The league is the first of it’s kind in Philadelphia.

“We have been doing this for eight years, so it shows there is a need to keep the kids involved in something positive, so the support of the Sixers is very key to this whole piece.”

In it’s eighth year, La Liga expanded the girls division to allow 15 to 17 year-olds to play. Alvarez says it’s a sign that things are only going to get better for La Liga.

“We want everyone to get an opportunity to play,” Alvarez said. La Liga and the Sixers are doing just that, giving children an opportunity to play and succeed whether it’s on or off the court.