Chicago Bulls unveil three refurbished basketball courts with non-profit “Beyond the Ball” in Little Village 

In an area that was once plagued by street gangs, turf wars, high crime rates and violence in the community, Little Village has now become a safe haven and a beacon of hope for young people looking to develop their talents and skills in the game of basketball. 

Enter “Beyond the Ball”, a nonprofit organization led by co-founder and executive director Rob Castaneda from the area, partnered with the Chicago Bulls and artist Roco Drilo on Saturday, October 5, to unveil three newly refurbished basketball courts outside of the Gary-Ortiz Elementary school, 3000 S. Lawndale Ave., located in the Little Village neighborhood. 

“The event will unveil three refurbished basketball courts outside of Gary-Ortiz Elementary school and feature artwork across all the courts from Mexican artist Roco Drilo, who pulled inspiration from the Latine community as well as the Bulls brand identity,” said a Bulls spokesperson along with the Vice President of Community Engagement, Adrienne Scherenzel, via press release and interview with the Crusader. 

“This is a really meaningful project, as these courts lie along a historic dividing [line] between two local gangs and used to be one of the most dangerous places in the neighborhood. In fact, the co-founder and executive director of Beyond the Ball, Rob Castaneda, had his family’s house set on fire twice, among other threats of intimidation from local gangs trying to scare him out of the neighborhood.” 

According to the Bulls and Castaneda, the courts will serve as a space for youth to play and do what they love in their neighborhood, as well as a powerful, authentic representation of their neighborhood that everyone can be proud of. For more than 20 years, these courts have served as a homebase for Castenada’s non-profit Beyond the Ball, that reaches more than 1,500 youth annually by leveraging the power of sport and play to reclaim space, unite the community and develop a culture of opportunity in Little Village. 

The Chicago Bulls share Beyond the Ball’s commitment to using the power of basketball to unite people and create community. Castenada said to the Crusader, that he and his wife Amy faced many challenges in the beginning prior to launching the organization.  

“We never intended to start a non-profit (organization),” said Castenada about his wife and their humble beginning’s of starting Beyond Ball. “My wife was a school teacher in the neighborhood. That’s what brought us here 26 years ago, and for me growing up on the south side of Chicago and in the neighborhood of South Chicago, sports was a big part of my life.”

Castenada said growing up in a community surrounded by violence, sports was a way of escape for him as a youth. He said when moving to the neighborhood back in 1998, he encouraged youth to stay away from gangs and get an education. He also said the biggest stakeholders in the organization are not the partnerships they’ve established over the years but the young people in the community. 

In addition to Castenada’s comments, Rene Niola, a local product from the area, said he’s seen a significant improvement in the area since Castenada took over the court. Niola also said he and his brother grew up playing basketball with Castenada. 

“Like Rob mentioned (earlier), they had to redo the whole thing first, it was like asphalt,” said Niola to the Crusader about the prior conditions of the basketball court. “Before (the transformation) It was like ugly concrete and green faded (lines). You could not see the lines. [Prior to the Bulls makeover] like Rob mentioned ‘we didn’t have any lights.’ (But with the changes being made), I can see the kids playing on this court until 9 to 10 o’clock (at night) especially during the summer (time).”  

During the interview, Niola also said he was very proud to be from the Little Village neighborhood. And when it comes to the Chicago Bulls, Niola said “when you think about the Chicago Bulls, you think about a great organization. An organization that won championships and represented the city of Chicago well. And with a face lift like this for the community….and as a long time resident of Little Village…. It means a lot to us.” 

Event Attendees: 

The event featured speeches from the Bulls, Beyond the Ball and artist Roco Drilo. In addition to the speakers, the event featured a Beyond the Ball ceremonial first shot on the court, Entertainment from the Chicago Bulls, including a Bulls DJ, visits from Bulls player Julian Phillips and Benny The Bull. A jersey presentation and a performance from 312. 

“It’s always great to see the community come together,” said Phillips to the Crusader. “Especially doing things for the youth.” 

The event also featured Youth Hoops programming, including a basketball clinic and games for attendees. Beyond the Ball Staff and Alumni, families from Beyond the Ball, and Jorge Rubalcava, Board Treasurer of Beyond the Ball (who spoke via Spanish during the event). 

(Information courtesy of the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Crusader).