Basketball program coming to Lake Barrington
Joy of the Game, a North Shore basketball organization, is expanding into Lake Barrington.
Joy of the Game, 158 S. Waukegan Road, Deerfield, is partnering with Lake Barrington Field House, 28156 W. Northpointe Parkway, to oversee all basketball programs.
The two organizations will work together to create a variety of quality basketball programming at the facility, including Joy of the Game West and Rising Stars West. These two new basketball programs will provide young athletes throughout West Lake County and Northwest Cook County with resources and facilities to further their basketball careers.
IFG Development Group LLC selected Joy of the Game after an extensive search for the right partner. A number of national elite basketball organizations were interviewed during the selection process.
Over the past 18 months, Joy of the Game has partnered with other organizations to expand the brand in the Chicago market under new ownership.
"We are very happy to have made the selection of JOTG. We believe this partnership will allow JOTG to extend their brand excellence to the Lake Barrington Field House," said Steven Edelson, founder of IFG Development Group. "As a result, the participants in our programs will receive the highest level of training to be found."
Donnell Thomas will be the director of operations for Joy of the Game West/Rising Stars West.
"JOTG has a great system in place," he said. "Helping athletes grow is one of JOTG's goals, so bringing in more players will help us achieve that in yet another location."
Thomas has had 12 years of experience in European professional basketball and is in the Chicago Public League Hall of Fame for Paul Robeson High School and the College Hall of Fame for Northern Illinois University.
"We have been wanting to expand for quite some time, and Lake Barrington seemed to be the perfect location," said Josh Carl, owner of Joy of the Game, which was founded in 1993 as a basketball clinic.
Joy of the Game offers programming for players of all ages and skill levels, taught by a staff of expert coaches. It is also the home to the nationally recognized Rising Stars travel basketball program. More information is at www.joyofthegame.com or call (847) 498-6646.