Philadelphia Youth Basketball Launches Citywide Development Initiative

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB) is a new non-profit with the purpose to engage inner-city children to develop their full potential as students, athletes, and leaders.

Mayor-elect Jim Kenney along with Dawn Staley, Aaron McKie, Fran Dunphy, Steve Donahue, and Phil Martelli gathered to launch the program on Wednesday afternoon.

PYB plans to build a $25 million basketball-based youth development center at the Jay Cooke Elementary School in Logan that will include indoor and outdoor courts, training facilities, classrooms, and a community health and wellness center.

"To help young people reach their potential, not just as players and athletes, but as students and leaders," said President Kenny Holdsman.

Olympic gold medalist Dawn Staley grew up at 25th and Diamond, and she says kids today need this type of structure even more than the children of her generation.

"I didn't have Playstation, Internet, all these things competing for my time. My discipline was basketball," said Staley.

She says it's not about teaching kids to be a professional athlete but applying lessons from the court to win at life.

PYB also announced "I am Philadelphia Basketball," which is a social media awareness campaign to engage young basketball fans all over the city using #IAMPYB.

KYW Newsradio 1060's Mike Dougherty contributed to this report.