Uptown Challenge
The Full Story
The Uptown Challenge Women’s Summer League-NYC was launched by Marian Moorer “The Comish” with the vision of creating a basketball tournament solely dedicated to young women. The Comish found the Courtney Calendar playground and called upon her childhood friend Alexis Smith (RIP) to discuss the name and inaugural logo for the tournament.
Marian then called her mentor Mr. Couch who was excited about the idea and vowed his support in making the UPTOWN CHALLENGE a premier league for young women in the NYC metro area. Next up, Marian called her childhood friends Assistant Commissioners Lisa Fredericks aka “Side Kick” and Claudette Jackson aka “MC Chocolate” to join her in her endeavor; both were ecstatic. Hence the UPTOWN CHALLENGE WOMENS SUMMER LEAGUE-NYC was launched in the summer of 2004 at the Courtney Calendar Playground.
Mr. Couch and the Jim Couch Foundation have provided immeasurable support to the UPTOWN CHALLENGE since its inception. Mr. Couch is a national basketball icon and inductee into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame. Mr. Couch has supported countless basketball players and their families make a life-changing decision for decades. If you come into the park, you will see Mr. Couch each weekend with as much passion as he exhibited on day one.
Lisa is responsible for all tournament support areas from the coordination of team registration, uniform distribution, and communications to coaches and league officials. Lisa is the chief reason why games start on time and operates professionally. She trains staff to be their best and over the years has trained over 15 staffers who come back and say under her leadership they gained invaluable job skills.
Anyone who has visited or passed by the tournament knows “MC Chocolate” is the heartbeat of the tournament on the mic. “MC Chocolate” gets everyone involved from the players, parents to visiting tourist from all over the world! “MC Chocolate” gives the girls nicknames that match their basketball skills, remembers birthdays/anniversaries, host dance contest and will not hesitate to pull out one of her voice characters while the game is going on. She helps to create the family vibe at the UPTOWN CHALLENGE each weekend.
Throughout the years, Ms. Juanita Washington and the 130th Block Association worked seamlessly with the UPTOWN CHALLENGE to ensure the park environment is great. Ms. Washington who transitioned in 2014 has a banner that hangs each and every game where she sat. Her daughter Rose Washington has not skipped a beat in following in her footsteps. She and community member Bryan Phillips have helped the UPTOWN CHALLENGE to embed themselves into the community.
The UPTOWN CHALLEGE is a family-oriented tournament whose goal is to provide an arena for the best basketball competition in the NYC metro area that helps women to hone their basketball skills. We want their participation in the tournament to be a memorable experience for them, their families and the community.
