January 2025 brings more than a new year for Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis.
As Savramis put it, "The New Year brings back a Rising Stars classic event that, although far from new, will be featured for the first time at the new Rising Stars Athletic Complex."
The classic event Paul Savramis is referring to is the return of the Rising Stars four-day end-of-summer camp.
"The format of our four-day camps has been a focal point of our yearly programs for thirty years," he explains.
When recognized for any Rising Stars accomplishment, founder Paul Savramis is quick to share the wealth.
As Paul Savramis looks over the walls of the new Rising Stars Athletic Complex and the faces that smile back at him from those walls, he thinks back to 1996 and points out that many of the original Rising Stars directors are gone. Any credit for what Rising Stars has become today, Savramis will tell you, should include a long list of others whom he felt now rightfully belong on that first group, or as he likes to put it, the "village of original pioneers" that helped make a vision into a reality.
Founder Paul Savramis is proud to say that today's village pays great homage to the original foundation upon which Rising Stars was built. So much so, Savramis continues, that most of today's group was a product of the Rising Stars program. The group Savramis credits today is a "who's who" of Rising Stars and are the ones who have come and stayed.
When Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis is asked what has significantly impacted Rising Stars' evolution over the past 28 years, one word immediately comes to mind: clinics.
Talking further with Paul Savramis, he emphasizes that clinics weren't just a part of Rising Stars; they defined its beginnings and recognition.
As Paul Savramis explains, Rising Stars started as a series of one-day and weekend instructional basketball clinics sponsored by Nike and Wilson Sports in the 90’s. These clinics evolved into yearly programs featuring camps, travel teams, and overall training.
At the time, Paul Savramis points out, this simple concept was truly innovative and gained traction. This clinic model and teaching style helped Rising Stars develop a reputation as a basketball school rather than just a camp.
And that, Paul Savramis continued, was something that caught on so much so that European programs brought Savramis and his staff to showcase this style for their players.
Q. It's been one year since the ribbon-cutting ceremony. What are you feeling and how has this year been different from the ones before?
Paul Savramis: After 28 years, this one year stands alone in a very significant way: we now have something to call home. The ribbon-cutting was a ceremony to celebrate that but it took a year for it to really sink in.
Q: October has always been a huge month for Rising Stars; how has this October been different with your having that home?
Paul Savramis: In every way possible. October is the beginning of Rising Stars’ fall season and that means fall tryouts. This year we were able to host those ourselves and families got to see the future. In addition to that, we hosted our middle school showcase at the complex and we were able to schedule our training and other activities all under one roof.
Q: How important was having that option as opposed to what you needed to do in the past?
Paul Savramis: Aside from always waiting for other sites to confirm availability and not having the ability to really promote our fall programs, knowing this was all set was a huge lift for all our coaches and administrators after all those years struggling to put things together on someone else's timeline.
Q: You have been quoted using the statement "It takes a village to raise a child." Does that reference your definition of Rising Stars’ expanding role in the community?
Paul Savramis: Absolutely! Rising Stars has always used community service requirements as one of the pillars of its scholar-athlete programs. Having the ability to now bring together those community programs under our roof enabled us to become a hub for others and allowed us to give back.
Q: How did you capitalize on that?
Paul Savramis: We began by offering one of our partners, the Long Island Alzheimer’s and Dementia Foundation, space to hold tryouts for their fundraising events. But we now have so much more to offer than a gymnasium. The complex has a separate community meeting room and classroom, which holds financial literacy sessions offered by another partnership with Jovia Bank.
Q: You mention Jovia Bank. That's a new addition to the Rising Stars programs. Has the athletic complex helped bring in other community partners?
Paul Savramis: The athletic complex certainly helped, but our partner organizations have become involved with Rising Stars through our yearly academic and community programs and being able to connect with those families. That said, having everything under one roof makes it all a great deal more attractive.
Q: What other partnerships have come about over the past years as a result of having a home?
Paul Savramis: Orlin and Cohen have been a great addition for us. They have offered concussion awareness programs, free injury assessment, recovery sites, and so much more to help our families. This one program has been an incredible experience for our athletes and greatly appreciated by parents.
Paul Savramis: Without a doubt. Rising Stars has always tried to keep true to its original mission statement which remains “To Promote Education.” With the addition of financial literacy, injury prevention, concussion awareness and so many other updates, we are using the complex to develop both mind and body. This is something we have always tried to do.
Q: One last question. As October ends are there any new partnerships or activities in the mix?
Paul Savramis: We are excited to be in a position where we have organizations looking to come in to help us do more. Both existing ones, like Wilson Basketball, that now helps support our new Little Stars for K-3 and newly added for October, GOAT brand Active Wear which will be the fall apparel line for our families.
Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis says the Rising Stars girls’ program has a fever, which is a really good thing.
"This summer has seen a huge uptick in interest from our younger girls looking to play basketball, and some part of that has to be because of Caitlin Clark and the Fever team this year," Paul Savramis explained. "Caitlin has transformed girls' basketball and sports in general, beginning at Iowa and ending as WNBA's 2024 Rookie of the Year."
Paul Savramis has long been a strong advocate for his foundation's girls programs, and his advocacy has only gotten stronger this year. "Our girls have taken center stage this summer in both national and local competition, and that has a great deal to do with the program's leadership," said Paul Savramis.
