The Raw Intensity of New York's Elite Youth Basketball

Lewis developed priorities for his kids: "God, family, work, play." He promised himself he would never push his kid into sports, and he would teach them to pursue school with the same aggressiveness with which they play sports.

"I wasn't going to be that parent, who lived their lives for what they didn't reach when they were young," Lewis says. "They have a better chance than I did. If I had a father in the sport, I might have gone farther. But I didn't have that guidance."

Sam Horine

The Riverside Hawks do their thing in a March game.

Sam Horine

Related Content

• The Nets Left New Jersey Last Night After 35 Years, With A Loss, Of Course
  April 24, 2012
• New York Post Columnist Phil Mushnick On Jay-Z, "Bitches," "Hoes," And The "New York N-----s" *UPDATED*
  May 4, 2012
• Santigold's Gold Standard
  May 23, 2012
• The Islanders Are Coming! The Islanders Are Coming!
  February 1, 2012
• New Brooklyn Home for the Nets Will Provide Thousands of Local Jobs, Bloomberg Brags
  April 26, 2012

More About

• Tom Konchalski
• Mike Melton
• Mark Jerome
• High School Basketball
• High School Athletics

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: (Sent out every Thursday) Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

As the game ends, Riverside has won, holding the Gauchos to a handful of points in the second half. The players shake hands. The coaches cluster with the players. They separate, and everyone ambles out to their cars, where, more than likely, more discussion of the game will commence.

The games are like sandcastles, built and dismantled in an hour or so, and then everyone vanishes. Lewis and his son go to the car. They have another game later that day.