In spite of all the new family responsibilities, quality ministry continued. Throughout the school year, an average of over 75 hours a month (approx. 18-20 hrs./week), were spent visiting young people. This was in addition to numerous hours spent on the phone, writing letters to youth, and fund raising.

TEAM JAM Development League - By gleaning ten promising basketball players who did not make the Revere 9th grade team, TEAM JAM was able to have those teens at the church for weekly practices. They were taught, introduced to Pastor Paul and invited to church events.

Canton-Akron Indians - Ed Smith, (from our youth group in New Jersey) played for Canton. Ed was very gracious in meeting with TEAM JAM youth and even was our guest on a radio show about the ministry.

Our fifth consecutive year and the largest evangelistic tourney we have ever competed in. Four senior high boys teams and a junior high boys team were entered (34 athletes total, eight adult volunteers. Largest turnout at that time for us). Bernie Reish, Jr., invited, led and coached the Junior High team made up of athletes from the Akron Recreational League. The junior higher's made it to the semifinals and the senior's took first, second, and third (third time for sweep, fourth championship). However, the highlight of the day came when fifth grader Chad accepted Christ. Chad has come with his family to watch his older brother play for the last four years. Three junior high athletes responded to the message during the day. On the ride home,three of our senior high athletes spent an hour with one of our out of town coaches discussing what they had learned about Christ. There in that car, all three chose to accept Christ.

Simultaneously with the week of the Word of Life Tournament in Wooster, Pam and John entertained two guests from Springfield, Illinois. Dave Cunningham, who is a deacon at his church, and Bob Robinson, their youth pastor, traveled out to observe the effect TEAM JAM has on it's community. They experienced first hand how the Lord can use them to reach unchurched youth, even when strangers. They were able to envision the same outreach back in Illinois, tailored to their strengths and opportunities.

Locally, Northampton United Methodist Church, also was assisted. Their pastor, Rev. Scavuzzo, is a Revere HS graduate, is young (30's), and committed to sharing the Gospel of Christ. Through our initial efforts toward them, five of their visitors joined us in participating at the Sports Funtastic at Kent State. They carried out all responsibilities on their own while knowing our assistance was just a few feet away.

Once a year, this fellowship of Baptist churches host an evangelistic sports festival. At the completion of the many activities and athletic events, a special speaker shares the gospel with the almost 2,000 participants. This year's speaker was John. Bernie Reish, Jr. led the jr. high team of eleven athletes.

Forty boys basketball players participated on four high school and one junior high team were entered. Athletically, we swept the Sr. High boys division (second time), for our fifth consecutive championship. The junior high team finished first in their inaugural appearance. In addition to that blessing, we also observed a very good response to the gospel. Nine families came to observe the games, two churches joined with us to sponsor athletes and arrange teams, and three adults were mentored.

The All-American Cage Classic has been held in the Akron area since the 1970's. Numerous NBA stars have participated in this AAU recognized tournament when they were still in high school including this year's first (Joe Smith), the fifth (Kevin Garnett), and eleventh (Gary Trent) picks, athletes that TEAM JAM athletes have competed against. This is not an evangelistic or "religious" event. Talent like this attracts hundreds of college coaches who are looking for players to offer scholarships to. Several of our athletes benefitted from this exposure and are now headed off to the school that came to scout them. TEAM JAM sponsored two Akron area teams. Twenty-one area athletes competed in this prestigious tournament because of TEAM JAM, while learning how to represent Christ.

Spiritual goals are still being met whether or not a tournament has "spiritual intentions". This was best seen with Chicago Jam. Mike Kuykendall, TEAM JAM missionary in Chicago, worked hard to involve Chicago's top hoopers in the Cage Classic. As a result, Mike brought eleven athletes out to Ohio. These athletes included 6'11" J. R. Koch (Iowa U. recruit) and Tai Streets (Illinois' high school athlete of the year, Michigan U. football recruit). At the conclusion of the last game, we gathered the team together to share the message of Christ. Nine of the eleven athletes chose to accept Christ as their personal Savior. The response to the gospel was as great or greater there than any evangelistic tournament we have previously taken athletes to! The experience was positive enough for parents to send written thank you's for the "privilege" of being involved with TEAM JAM. The Chicago Lane Tech HS coach who helped us was also personally grateful.

An Akron area gentleman has been supporting us for years and once again financed one of our teams throughout the summer. That team was made up 17 year olds. Practices and games were preceded with practical Bible lessons that the athletes voiced their appreciation for. Since several of these young men have been with us for several years now, they are expected to live what they are learning. Several referees, tournament officials, and participants complimented us for our attitude and effort in spite of adversity.

Through responding to an add in the newspaper about a need for coaches, we became familiar with the Hudson Kiwanis and their basketball program. Athletes from all over the greater Akron area participated, allowing me to meet young people from over 15 area high schools while traveling only five minutes from my house. Coaches were needed for practices and teams. This effort was highlighted by one of the team members trusting Christ as their Savior at the end of July. The interaction with the men from Kiwanis who run this program was also beneficial. They like what TEAM JAM is about and desire further contact with us to see how our programs may compliment each other.

Akron Buchtel HS's boys basketball coach created this league last year. Last year we entered a team of 9th graders from Medina, Revere, and Akron. This year we were invited to participate in order to raise the level of competition. One of our players was the 16 year old from Southeast HS that accepted Christ.

Two years ago, when TEAM JAM supervised open gyms at Revere HS, Jimmy Oliver (Purdue U., Cleveland Cavs, and Boston Celtics) showed up for a couple of nights to workout with us. Communication has been maintained to this day, culminating in an invitation to help coach one of his camp weeks that he holds in the area each summer. This involved seven hours a day for a week, but it also provided a chance to: (1) get to know other coaches in the camp, (2) build relationships with 50 middle school aged youth from Akron, Copley and Revere. This has been beneficiail in getting to know new youth in the area for this school year.

Throughout the summer we receive frantic phone calls from athletes who were inelligible for college requirements, did not graduate and needed their GED, or lost their scholarship due to personal problems. Many calls were made back and forth with college coaches regarding various TEAM JAM athletes. This summer we helped three young men receiving college scholarships, aided two in getting their GED, and helped another in traveling to college in Florida. Parents often express that "we had nobody else to help us."

Hudson HS football chapel services - Weekly chapel services before games provided for varsity.

Chicago JAM established - Several trips have been made by Mike Kuykendall to Ohio as have we to Chicago in order to develop an outreach there. As a result, basketball teams have been brought out to Ohio, resulting in twelve of the athletes trusting Christ as their Savior. In continued developments with their church, Belden Regular Baptist, an exciting step was reached. Mike and his family moved into one of the church's parsonages during the spring, one of many ways they are backing the JAM mission there.

TEAM JAM Night - Medina's "Men of Faith" invited us to share about our ministry. Eight high school young men joined me in sharing what was effective in reaching them. The purpose was to share the secret of how adults can reach teens like them. The night was videotaped.