BOYNTON BEACH, FL --No one thought they could do it but a group of 10-year-old hoopsters are putting Boynton Beach on the map.
The Boynton Hoops Ballers are second in the nation and are heading to Indiana July 4th for the National Championship.
Coach Skillet Wilson says his players are dedicated and they practice two hours a day, five days a week.
"We grabbed a hold of them early and tried to put them on the right track," Wilson said. "We want them out of trouble and this does it."
Coach Wilson knew the way to put them on the right track was to start with putting them on the court. So he created a Hoops team at the local community center.
The season began with an embarrassing 40 point loss.
To make matters more difficult, many players were having a tough time finding rides to practice.
But Wilson and a handful of dedicated parents like Shena Johnson didn't give up.
"If you want to make these kids see there is something better than the streets, you do what you have to do," Johnson said.
That meant tirelessly fundraising for uniforms, shoes, and as the kids kept winning, cash for tournaments.
It was worth it though, parents say.
They noticed their children began concentrating more at school and the discipline from the court was carrying over at home too.
"This is what the love and they know without good grades they won't be allowed to play," Johnson said
At $500 a player, the team couldn't have planned the championship trip without help from the community.
They've spent the past month in front of local grocery stores and making calls to raise the money.
Many organizations including the Boynton Beach City Commission contributed.
