In North Charleston, a special basketball program is creating positive change for local kids and families. “Basketball After Dark” is now planning to expand this summer, offering even more safe and fun activities for students who are out of school.
About Basketball After Dark
Keith Smalls, the co-founder of Basketball After Dark, spoke about the program during an interview on Good Morning Charleston on Friday. Smalls explained that the program isn’t just about basketball — it’s about building a strong community.
“We like to think of it as a community mobilization activity project,” said Smalls. “We wanted to bring people together around community engagement and new initiatives for all neighborhoods.”
Basketball After Dark welcomes everyone — teens, elders, and members of the Latino community. The goal is to create a safe, positive environment where all parts of the community can connect.
Summer Expansion Plans
To kick off the excitement, the program is hosting a free five-on-five basketball tournament over the weekend. This tournament is open to everyone and aims to encourage more kids and families to get involved.
Smalls shared that the summer plans could include even bigger activities.
“The summer will get into possibly more tournaments, more like a league,” he said. “If we get enough people signed up, we can have more teams and schedule regular games throughout the summer.”
By offering these activities, Basketball After Dark hopes to keep kids active, connected, and safe when school is out.
Basketball After Dark is doing more than just organizing games — it’s building stronger communities and giving kids a safe space to belong. With plans to grow into a full league this summer, the program is set to make an even bigger impact. Opportunities like this help keep youth engaged, healthy, and surrounded by positive influences, showing that sometimes the best way to bring a community together is through the simple love of the game.
