The purpose of the Newburgh Zion Lions, Inc. is to help advance and empower the inner city youth by initiating and improving opportunities for boys and girls basketball through competition. We believe that all young people are endowed with talents that can be maximized through hard work, perseverance, motivation and dedicated coaching. Using competitive sports training accompanied with educational endeavors, the Newburgh Zion Lions, Inc. strives to provide a successful program built upon discipline, respect, confidence, physical fitness, athletic excellence, leadership and sportsmanship. The Newburgh Zion Lions, Inc. is dedicated to helping empower our inner city Youth

Summer Sizzler, Fall League, and Winter Chill are seasonal age group leagues for ages 5-17. In the 5-8 year old league, players learn basketball fundamentals such as dribbling, passing, shooting, defense and team play. Instructional games follow with teaching time-outs by coaches and refs. Both the 9-11 and the 12-14 divisions usually have eight teams of ten or more. Competitive basketball is played in the regular season followed by play-offs. Instruction by coaches/refs plus real-game play combine to provide a powerful basketball learning experience. Strong competition continues to dominate our   15-17 year old division. A competitive program at this level offers our non-high school basketball team players a chance to play competitively all year long.

Each year the Newburgh Zion Lions’ supports eight to twelve AAU traveling teams. These teams play at the most competitive level of youth basketball traveling throughout the Northeast to tournaments. For the last several years our teams have qualified for the AAU Nationals. AAU tournaments offer our players the opportunity to elevate their level of competitiveness to the top, and to be seen by numerous college scouts.

Our former players are off to a great start in life. Some of the colleges former Newburgh Zion Lions attend: Orange County Community College, Sullivan County Community College, Ulster County Community College, SUNY Albany, SUNY Cobleskill, UCON, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Buffalo, and Mitchell College.

Many of our former players return to coach and ref in our various leagues. It is a clear demonstration of how the Newburgh Zion Lions legacy of supporting Newburgh’s youth builds a strong community.

In the summer of 2004, the Newburgh Zion Lions was one of five recipients of the Solutions to Teen Violence grant. This grant was awarded by Orange County to established youth programs in the City of Newburgh that provide activities to keep teens and youths off the street and out of trouble by participating in a positive venture. The City of Newburgh has also awarded us small community block grants which helped us to send a team to the AAU Nationals two years in a row.

Our ongoing sources of funding include grants, donations by local businesses, individual donations, revenue from hosting an AAU tournament, and various other fundraisers such as coin-drops. If you would like to donate or get more information please contact Coach Harold Rayford at 845-565-6151 or Coach Mike Fields at 845-566-1162. Thank you. It is the generosity of our donors that allows us to provide a quality program for the youth of the City of Newburgh.