‘Full Court Press to Success’ workshop series to feature new Fleetwood film, ‘I Just Wanna Ball’

by Octavia Bostick

San Francisco – The first in a series of empowerment workshops, “Full Court Press to Success,” will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the Bayview Opera House. The seminars will also take place in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. These are free events for the whole family.

McClymonds-High-School-Lady-Warriors-win-2013-Oakland-Athletic-League-championship-in-Fleetwoods-I-Just-Wanna-Ball, ‘Full Court Press to Success’ workshop series to feature new Fleetwood film, ‘I Just Wanna Ball’, Culture Currents The first “Full Court Press to Success” workshop, launching in San Francisco, will feature guest speakers Dr. Jennifer Hamilton from Modesto Junior College, Anna James of the Be A Champion Foundation, East Oakland Community Project’s Deonna Jennings and Charlotte Mills-Washington with the Center for Human Services.

The journey of overcoming adversity by young women in urban communities will be celebrated during this inspiring free workshop, where speakers will share their courageous stories. They are professional women representing a variety of industries, including sports, entertainment, education, community and corporate sectors, who will share their personal stories with young women, emphasizing the importance of personal power.

The workshop includes an exclusive viewing of the new documentary short film, “I Just Wanna Ball,” directed by Robert “Fleetwood” Bowden. The gripping documentary shows the determination of four young women who fight to shut out the streets while they strive for their dreams. A Q&A session follows.

The public is invited to this free event to witness the power of today’s young women at the empowerment workshop. The event will be held at the Bayview Opera House, located at 4705 Third St. in San Francisco, on Saturday, Feb. 8, 4-5:30 p.m.

Sponsoring the launch of the “Full Court Press to Success” workshops are Inner City Youth and Robert “Fleetwood” Bowden. Inner City Youth was founded by Michael L. Brown in 1995. His vision was to create an organization that would provide a safe haven, a home away from home, for the youth of San Francisco. Since its inception, the organization has developed work-study programs that provide after-school tutoring, physical activity, nutritional snacks, job preparedness workshops, an intern program and year-round employment for up to 40 youth. With more assets, ICY San Francisco expects that number only to grow.

Fleetwood’s life experiences have led him to become an author, rap artist, music producer, actor, video producer and director while also being an active motivational speaker and community activist. Well known as the founder of Homeboyhotline.org, a re-entry program assisting ex-offenders in their transition back into the Bay Area community, he has recently been appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to the city’s Re-entry Council. Fleetwood holds an associate of arts degree in music engineering from Music Tech in Minneapolis.

Fleetwood’s new documentary film, “I Just Wanna Ball,” is the story of four young ladies from the McClymonds High School Lady Warriors championship team of 2013. For them, basketball is a breath of fresh air, an escape, a safe haven. It gives them a chance to avoid the traps of the urban environment that await so many young women.

These girls have no plans on giving in or giving up on themselves or life. They won the 2013 Oakland Athletic League championship, but the true triumph is what they accomplished off the court. Basketball has taken them and will continue to take them to a whole different world. The goal of this project is to let the world see a beautiful rose as it grows from the concrete.

Octavia Bostick of Ballyhoo Public Relations can be reached at ballyhooprceo@gmail.com. For more information, visit http://innercityyouthsf.org and www.facebook.com/ijustwannaball.