What to know
- Lay-Up Youth Basketball have been serving thousands of youth in Toronto’s neighborhood improvement areas with no cost
- The organization is working toward a goal of positively impacting 3,500 young people by 2030
- Health and well-being, education, employment and social sustainability are the four pillars built around Lay-Up Youth Basketball that helps support the youth
Since 2013, Lay-Up Youth Basketball has been showing that basketball can be much more than a game. Across neighbourhoods in Toronto, the organization has used the sport as a powerful tool to help young people build healthier lives, strengthen their education, develop leadership skills, and create pathways to meaningful employment and community connection.
Lay-Up believes every young person deserves the opportunity to succeed regardless of the challenges they face. Through consistent mentorship, community, and programming rooted in basketball, Lay-Up equips youth with the confidence, skills, and support they need to overcome real world obstacles and reach their full potential.
“I always say basketball is the carrot at Lay-Up because that’s what gets kids in the door,” Brey Johnson, the regional manager at Lay-Up tells Now Toronto.
Here’s how Lay-Up is changing the game
Today, the organization is working toward an ambitious goal: positively impacting 3,500 young people by 2030.
What makes Lay-Up different is that basketball is only the starting point.
Every practice, game, and conversation becomes an opportunity to build trust, develop leadership, and create lasting relationships. Those relationships extend far beyond the court, supporting young people in every stage of their journey.
One of the clearest examples of this impact is City of Toronto Hall of Honours Coach of the Year, Coach Prince Dankyi’s story. Like many participants, Prince first came to Lay-Up as a young athlete looking for a place to play. Over time, he developed not only as a basketball player but as a leader.
“I grew up in Jane and Finch. There’s a lot of systemic barriers such as gang violence, drug abuse, lack of positive role models, and lack of quality programming. And this is the life that my friends and I were forced to navigate day to day. But Lay-Up gave me opportunities to feel seen, supported, and heard.” Dankyi explained. Through Lay-Up, Prince found mentorship, community and opportunities that helped shape his journey both on and off the court.
Today, he has come full circle, coaching and mentoring the next generation of youth entering the program.
For Prince, one of the most rewarding parts of coaching has been watching young people grow beyond the court. He thinks of one participant he met at a Lay-Up summer camp when the athlete was just six years old. Over the past eight years, Prince has watched him grow from a young player searching for confidence into a leader who now plays prep basketball in the OSBA and mentors younger participants himself.
“Watching his journey has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my coaching career,” Prince says.
“I was able to have a long, supported career in playing basketball and when I was done my career, I was able to come back and give back to my community, Lay-Up and kids all of Toronto neighbourhood improvement areas.”
Prince says one of the biggest lessons basketball has taught him was that coaching is about developing the person, not the player.
The four pillars of Lay-Up
Lay-Up’s work is built around four interconnected pillars that support the youth.
The first is Health and Wellness. Programs such as Sky High and Fuel for Life help young people improve their physical health while also building resilience, confidence, positive relationships, and mental wellbeing. The court becomes a safe space where youth can challenge themselves, belong, and grow.
The second pillar is Education. Through off-court programming, STEM activities, literacy, math, and arts education, Lay-Up uses basketball as a lens for learning. By connecting academic concepts to something young people are passionate about, education becomes more engaging, relevant, and accessible.
The third pillar is Employment. Through the Crossover program, participants gain practical skills that prepare them for the workforce. Whether coaching younger athletes, supporting business operations, developing creative content, or building leadership experience, youth leave with the confidence and professional skills needed to pursue future careers.
The fourth pillar is Social Sustainability. Through mentorship, community relationships and long- term support systems, Lay-Up works to build environments where young people and youth coaches can continue to grow and contribute to their communities.
Together, these four pillars create something much bigger than a sports program. They provide young people with the tools to thrive in every aspect of life from their health and education to their careers and communities.
As Lay-Up continues to grow, its mission remains the same: to help young people navigate life’s challenges and unlock opportunities through the power of basketball.
“We want to make sure that we prepare youth to tackle real-world problems,” Johnson adds.
