• Analyze local crime statistics, dropout rates, and youth unemployment
• Partner with police departments, schools, and social services for data
• Distribute community surveys to gauge interest and identify needs
• Host focus groups with at-risk youth
• Form a Steering Committee of 8–12 members representing law enforcement, education, faith community, local government, and youth

• Target participants: ages 13–24, at-risk youth
• League schedule: 2 nights per week, 8PM–1AM, 12-week sessions
• Plan for 100 participants per session × 2 sessions = 200/year
• Design 6-component program: Education, Employment, Health, Case Mgmt, Cultural Enrichment, Recreation
• Recruit 4 part-time coaches + 2 mentors + 2 security guards

• Identify gym space: recreation center, school, or community center
• Budget $1,500/week for gym rental (or pursue city partnership for free access)
• Secure equipment: basketballs, uniforms, first aid kit, scoring system
• Set up case management intake system for participant tracking
• Establish facility use agreement and insurance coverage

• Total annual budget target: $300,000 (200 youth × $1,500/participant)
• Staffing: $60,000 | Facility: $75,000 | Equipment: $30,000 | Programs: $50,000 | Admin: $35,000 | Contingency: $50,000
• Apply for government grants (OJJDP, HUD, DOJ, city/county)
• Recruit corporate sponsors using AMB sponsorship deck
• Apply for foundation grants — see Portal Grants section

• Host a community launch event 2 weeks before first game
• Partner with local media for press coverage
• Invite city officials, police, school principals to opening night
• Conduct participant intake and registration 1 hour before games
• Run life skills workshop during halftime of every league night

Program Overview

SCARED STIFF is an AMB partner program that brings together professionals and community leaders to graphically illustrate the impact of gun violence on communities. It is delivered by AMB chapters as part of the Midnight Basketball League Program™’s Health Component — in schools, community centers, recreation centers, juvenile detention centers, and other public forums.

The program focuses on the devastation that occurs when individuals die from gunshot wounds — using first-hand survivor accounts, medical reality, and system consequences to create lasting behavioral change within the larger MBL Program framework.

Program Purpose

SCARED STIFF is designed to:

• Create positive interaction and safe venues for youth to discuss violence and its consequences
• Provide alternative pathways away from gun violence through education and mentorship
• Reduce the glorification of gun violence through realistic, unfiltered testimonials
• Connect participants with mental health support and community resources
• Empower youth to be agents of change in their communities

Gunshot survivors share first-hand accounts of how violence changed their lives forever. Real stories from real people in the community — not actors, not statistics.

Law enforcement, prosecutors, and formerly incarcerated individuals present the real consequences of gun violence — arrest, trial, incarceration, and its impact on families.

Career counselors, educators, and successful community members present viable alternatives — education, employment, entrepreneurship, and community service as paths to a better future.

Mental health professionals, counselors, and community organizations provide on-site resources, referrals, and follow-up support for participants who want help or are in crisis.