Rising Stars: A Mission Beyond Simple

One of the most challenging questions Rising Stars' founder, Paul Savramis, is asked is to describe the mission of his foundation. Paul Savramis fields this question at every Foundation event, usually accompanied by the request for a "simple, abridged elevator version." For Paul Savramis, that question remains difficult to answer because the mission is anything but simple.

The Rising Stars website states the mission very simply: "To Promote Education." However, an additional description continues, "Utilizes the power of teams to introduce the important values children will need to make correct decisions during their formative years." Then there's the foundation's staple: "To offer children opportunities to Play; Learn; and Grow."

March Madness Continues in May as Rising Stars Teams Led by Executive Director Dan Gimpel Bring in the Championships

Following the wins, we asked Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis why Gimpel’s championships stood out for him from the others.

Q: What made Dan Gimpel’s championships stand out for you this month? 

Paul Savramis: To answer that, I need to stress that every win by any Rising Stars team is a special one for all of us, but what Danny has done with his team has a backstory that makes his wins stand out for me.

Q: Considering how many highlight tournaments there have been this year, that's something we'd want to hear. 

Paul Savramis: To start, Dan is much more than a coach for Rising Stars. As the Executive Director of Rising Stars, he lived through 30 years of championships as a Rising Stars player before taking on his role as a Rising Stars coach. Dan’s wins, and also his losses as a player, definitely contributed to how he approaches the game as a coach. This team's success, and its wins, are special because Dan has built on it from the third grade.

Looking Back Over Rising Stars' 30-Year History, The Topic Of "What Stands Out Most" Always Comes Up For Founder Paul Savramis

Today, we look back at a topic we brought to light again this April as Rising Stars celebrated the start of a new program that has roots in Rising Stars' past. We discuss with Paul Savramis how this promises to have a tremendous impact on its future.

Q: What exactly is the new program that has everyone so excited at Rising Stars, and why is it so special for you, Paul Savramis?

Paul Savramis: The new program addresses today's performance expectations among parents and young athletes and the excess pressure placed on them to meet those expectations. That issue has to be part of what we deal with in the future.

March Madness Adds New Highlights and Brings Back Great Memories for Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis

2025 Madness came early for Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis, as three RS alumni celebrated two NCAA Division III National Championships.

The first national championship was on the women's side, with NYU freshman and RS alumna Caitlin Kenny sharing the national stage with an NYU team that now boasts two consecutive national championships, a 65-game winning streak, and a #1 ranking.

"Caitlin has been a Rising Star since she could walk," said Paul Savramis. "Her mother, Sue Kenny, a former St. John's University player, coaches our national Nike EYBL team with Jill Cook, a former USA Olympics coach."

Paul Savramis usually can never say enough about his girls' teams, but this time it's Caitlin Kenny doing all the talking.

On the men's side, Savramis points to Paul Jordan and Tristan Davis playing for Trinity College, which secured the team's first-ever national championship win against top-ranked NYU. Adding to the madness for Savramis was that NYU coach David Klatzky played for Rising Stars!

Paul Savramis said that both Jordan and Davis chose Trinity over Division I opportunities for the education program it offered, in addition to the athletic side, and both boys couldn't be happier.

March Madness has always been a very special time for both Savramis and Rising Stars. Savramis recalls that last year, two Rising Stars alumni took center stage in the Final Four. "That was a big deal for our kids," said Paul Savramis. "Seeing players that they knew on the national stage made watching the games more exciting and extra special."

Savramis also points to Joakim Noah on the Rising Stars Athletic Complex wall and to the Championship Jersey presented to him from back-to-back championships at Florida.

That jersey is one of many from RS alumni who have been to the dance.

"NCAA Championships have been a part of Rising Stars history for 30 years," said Paul Savramis, "but two stand out for me with an extra special meaning."

The first was the 1985 national championship Villanova team.

Savramis recalled how special that team was for him and how, on the 20th anniversary of that win, Villanova coach Rollie Massimino brought his entire team to the New York Athletic Club to help celebrate the Rising Stars annual Gala.

Paul Savramis likes to emphasize that basketball is more than just a game and has a greater meaning than the number of wins or losses a team has.

His focus remains on grassroots community programs and teaching the game the right way to his K-3 program.

For Paul Savramis and Rising Stars, what's more important than a national championship is any lesson you can learn, winning or losing, from the game. For Savramis, one such lesson came with the 2001 championship win by Duke over Arizona and from consensus All-American Jay Williams. The game ball from that game, signed by both teams and given to Savramis, sits in the Rising Stars office, and when asked why that one win warranted a special description, Savramis is quick to reply.

"That ball was given by Rising Stars alumnus and ambassador Jay Williams, along with a lesson for a future generation." After winning the national championship that year, Jay was informed he was going to be the #1 draft pick in the lottery if he left.

Jay and his family placed a greater value on his education and returned to Duke to graduate and get his degree. It's a decision Jay Williams never regrets and still talks about to Rising Stars kids today. It's also a lesson that reflects the mission of Rising Stars.

Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis Advocates for International Travel

Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis has long been a strong advocate for expanding the national Rising Stars footprint to include international travel.

Paul Savramis attributes a significant portion of his program's success to the numerous opportunities his teams have had to compete both across the United States and around the world.

Paul Savramis readily acknowledges the profound impact of being part of Van Coleman's Future Stars network in Iowa on his personal development. He also considers the eight years he spent working with the late Charlie McCormick in Switzerland to be among the highlights of Rising Stars' history.

Paul Savramis recalls that travel provided him with the ability to use basketball as a "passport" into various languages and cultures.

"That," says Paul Savramis, "really impressed upon me what basketball can do to connect with others, transcending language barriers through a shared love of the game."

Rising Stars has shared that love in Israel, the Bahamas, and, most recently, in Greece this month.

"Basketball Around The World Founder James McCullough has been a coach with the Rising Stars program for more than a decade and was instrumental in bringing our teams to Greece last year," said Paul Savramis.

Currently, James McCullough is providing individual and group training, as well as program creation, in Costa Rica. He has expressed interest in expanding his international footprint beyond Greece and Costa Rica.

James McCullough's 2025 trip to Greece will be his eighth, conducted in coordination with the Super League Athletic Academy (SLAA).

SLAA organizes 8-10 day tours of Greece for youth teams, featuring games against local teams, training sessions through the Hellenic Basketball Federation, and sightseeing, meals, transportation, and accommodations. "Basketball is a passion that is not limited by international borders, cultures, or languages," Paul Savramis continued.

With 10 years of coaching experience at the NCAA level, Basketball Around The World's goal is to combine that experience with Rising Stars' 30-year history to spread the love of the game worldwide.

"My passion has always been to bring our special brand of instructional basketball to new places and meet new people," Paul Savramis continued. "I will personally always consider our Maui camp at the Lahaina Center among the best times of my life."

"Basketball is a great way to open doors and to offer what you can to others. One thing I can say without hesitation is that what you get back in return is always a great deal more than you put in."

New Year, New Hope, New Memories To Come, Says Paul Savramis

 

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.

A Circle of Support: Mentorship at the Heart of Rising Stars

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.