Born and raised in Inglewood, California, Jimmie Burton always had a desire to give back to his community. A three-sport athlete, Jimmie returned to his alma mater Morningside High School when he was recruited by his childhood friend and former team mate, Lee Denmon III, to coach basketball alongside him. Jimmie taught his players much more than the fundamentals of the sport. He instilled in them discipline, leadership, how to be a team player, and most importantly, determination to never give up even when it seems the odds are stacked against you. In 2002, under the direction of Jimmie and Lee, the Morningside Monarchs became league champions.

Tragedy struck in March 2003, when Lee was killed outside his home in Inglewood. Jimmie took a break from coaching. When Jimmie’s son, Nygel, became old enough to participate in sports, Jimmie returned to coaching him and other Inglewood youth at Darby Park, where he once played basketball as a kid. Jimmie then coached 7-12 year olds in the Rising Stars of America organization for five years. In July 2012, he led an undefeated 11u team to 2nd place victory at the AAU Nationals in Cocoa Beach, FL—astounding considering it was the team’s first time competing in the AAU National Tournament.

Aspiring to help players achieve greatness in many aspects of their lives, Jimmie created the City Stars Youth Enrichment Program in November of 2012. The City Stars basketball team is made up of extraordinary boys between the ages of 9 and 14 who are fired up about life, their sport and making a difference in the world.

City Stars is founded on five commitments to our youth: academic excellence, physical development and health, community building, athletic excellence and human potential.

Our mission is to nurture their natural talent and provide resources so they can strive for excellence.

Through academics, athletics and mentorship, we teach life skills, self-esteem, self-knowledge and self-respect.

We want to inspire and provide opportunities for today’s youth, enabling them to be successful no matter what path they take in life.

Honestly, we think we're changing their lives, but they are actually changing ours....

- Coach Jimmie Burton

Education

Education is an extremely important part of City Stars. We hope to inspire our kids to love the process of learning. All players are required to maintain at least C average, and are encouraged to maintain above a B average. Academic checks will be performed every quarter. If a child is encountering academic or emotional challenges at school, we will provide tutoring and/or counseling.

Participation

All players are encouraged to participate in community outreach programs. We create ongoing events that will give our kids opportunities to contribute to the community. We believe that teaching to give and share is a vital way to demonstrate how to live life with humility and responsibility. Through the program kids will learn that each individual has the ability to make a real difference in our world.

Health

Our players compete at an elite athletic level. In order to sustain a high level of performance, it is essential that players learn awareness of what goes into their bodies and minds. Our goal is to help them become aware of what they need to strengthen their talent and attain their personal health and fitness goals. We believe that physical fitness, nutrition and a positive mindset are critical to any athlete and healthy individual.

Communication

More and more of our players are becoming recognized by the press. As they continue to succeed and perform at a high level of competition, they may be approached by the media. We have media specialists on board to teach our kids how to effectively communicate with the press and ensure they are well represented.

Inspiration

It is important for us to teach our kids how to maintain a well balanced lifestyle. In addition to mentorship from our coaches and counselors, we host innovative and inspiring speakers to share their stories and life experience with our kids.

City Stars is an elite invite-only AAU traveling team. Through strength conditioning, professional skills training, and leadership from our coaches, our players are trained to compete at a prestigious national level. Our teams have some of the best talent in their age groups on the West Coast and are nationally ranked. Our goal is not to win games, but to use basketball as a vehicle where the kids can be recognized and pursue scholarships at a D1 collegiate level. With the City Stars basketball program and philosophy, we believe that our players will have the tools they need to become top college candidates.

Your generosity enables City Stars to create enriching new programs and resources to deserving kids. In short, your donation gives promising young players opportunities.

City Stars is a California Non-Profit Benefit Corporation 501(c)(3).

For more information, please email us at:

info@thecitystars.org