In 1989, Matt Paul received a scholarship from his pediatrician to attend basketball camp. Through the experiences and connections made at the camp, he went on to play the sport at Chestnut Hill Academy (now Springside Chestnut Hill Academy), the University of Pennsylvania, Millersville University, and professionally in Europe. According to Paul, the scholarship was a “pathway for opportunity.”

Now, as a founding member of the Power Forward Foundation, a local nonprofit that provides scholarships for youngsters to play organized basketball, Paul works to give young people the same opportunity he had to grow on and off the court.

“Ultimately, for me, it’s always been a dream of mine … to help others reach whatever goals they have,” Paul told the Local.

To celebrate the Power Forward Foundation’s success, the organization is hosting its annual fundraising dinner at 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Sixth Man Center in East Falls.

Hitting the ground running

In 2021, Paul, with friend Ryan Ansel, co-founded Next Play Basketball, a local program that teaches fundamentals and strives to cultivate a resilient mindset in kids. Through this organization, the pair noticed a need for funding to help youngsters afford organized basketball. They began to have conversations with others in their network, including Geoff and Gretchen Jackson, a local philanthropic couple.

Eventually, these discussions led to action, and in the spring of 2024, the Power Forward Foundation was formed with a mission of helping kids in grades 3-11 gain access to basketball programs. Allison DeCaro, a parent who knew the founders through Next Play, was brought on as executive director and a seven-member board with diverse perspectives was formed.

The Power Forward Foundation hit the ground running.

“Since our inception, in 18 months we have given out 91 scholarships to 70 different kids, and they have gone to over 10 different basketball programs,” DeCaro explained. “The 70 children represent 35 different zip codes, so it’s a pretty broad reach from something that started out very local and very small.”

In addition to Next Play, some of the leagues that the nonprofit has collaborated with include Life Lessons Basketball and Urban Youth Kings & Queens.

Physical, mental, and emotional health

According to DeCaro, youth sports are in an “unprecedented” time, growing increasingly expensive as well as more competitive. The Power Forward Foundation hopes not only to alleviate the financial burden, but also address the growing pressure kids and parents face. The organization has teamed up with Greenepsych, a sports psychology group, to teach kids important mental wellness skills through the lens of sports.

“You can sit in a classroom and you can hear a talk about resilience, grit, or moving on to the next play, but to actually do it on a basketball court is impactful in a very different way,” DeCaro said.

Ansel agrees that sports can be a helpful tool in staying physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy.

“Sports are a great way to learn lessons that are going to help you be successful in life,” Ansel said. “Whether it’s the next play on the basketball court, or you mess up on a test, or get in trouble in school — what are you going to do next?”

Grassroots growth

As a nonprofit, the Power Forward Foundation is working on gaining name recognition and making its services known widely. However, this small size may work to the organization’s advantage.

“There’s a lot of amazing national organizations, but sometimes they stay at a very high level and they can’t be responsive and reactive,” DeCaro said. “We are an organization that can respond within days. That homegrown feel is actually an advantage to us that we’re not looking to lose.”

Looking to the future, the team has plenty of goals. These objectives include offering more mental wellness resources to parents and coaches and focusing on giving more opportunities to girls, who frequently get “overlooked” in the sports world, according to DeCaro.

Another goal? Continuing to fundraise.

The second annual fundraising dinner on Nov. 16 will be the organization’s biggest event of the year. The nonprofit will be honoring Mo Howard with the Game Changer award during the event. Howard is a former NBA player who has mentored youth and coached around the Greater Philadelphia area.

Just as Paul’s life was changed through a scholarship to basketball camp, the foundation hopes to make an impact on countless more lives.

“The Power Forward Foundation is about more than basketball,” Geoff and Gretchen Jackson wrote. “It’s about giving kids the confidence to take the next step in life. We’re not just providing scholarship opportunities for kids to play. We’re helping them see what’s possible when they believe in themselves.”

Learn more about the Power Forward Foundation and its annual fundraiser at powerforwardfoundation.org.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.