Building Brotherhood: The Growth of Tavola's Community Basketball

One year ago, a few men from a home church in the Tavola community of New Caney, Texas, decided to come together for a simple game of basketball on Saturday mornings. What started as a casual gathering quickly turned into something much more meaningful.

After just a few weeks of playing, I decided to share our little group on the community Facebook page, hoping to draw in a few more players. To my surprise, within a couple of weeks, we had over 15 men showing up regularly to join in. It was amazing to see how quickly this small idea grew into something bigger.

Initially, the games were just an opportunity for men to come together and enjoy some friendly competition. But as I watched the group grow, I began to wonder: What if we could use this time not just to play basketball, but also to inspire, encourage, and motivate one another to greatness? What if we could use this opportunity to foster deeper relationships and guide one another in our walk with Jesus Christ?

With that vision in mind, we moved our games from Saturday mornings to Tuesday evenings, which allowed us to play in the cooler evenings of the Texas summer. As the weather began to change, we found a basketball gym in a nearby town owned by a local church, providing us with a comfortable and reliable space to continue our games.

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Over the next several months, our group continued to grow. More than 50 different men have come through to play the game of basketball with us. Today, we average 20-24 men every Tuesday night, with a steadily growing crowd returning on Saturday mornings.

What began as a simple Saturday morning game has blossomed into a strong, supportive community where men can come together, not just to play basketball, but to uplift each other and strengthen their faith. We’re not just playing a game; we’re building something much more lasting—a brotherhood rooted in faith, fellowship, and the love of the game.