Paul Savramis

Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis Shares Exciting News

Rising Stars continues to focus on its transition to educational support. Here, founder Paul Savramis answers questions about recent progress and shares some exciting news about the future of the organization.

Q: We understand there is a new tryout process for your students. How has that worked out so far?

Paul Savramis:  You’re right - we changed things up a bit for this year. Our September tryouts resulted in a total of 12 teams. Of the 132 winter league players, I’m happy to report that nearly three dozen are girls. We have the teams practicing and playing once per week. We’ve got some great talent hitting the court, so keep an eye out!

Q: Does Rising Stars offer scholarships to the winter team players?

Paul Savramis: Yes, we do! And, I am pleased to say that 30% of our players are receiving either a full or partial scholarship. Our target for scholarship participation is 20%, so we are way above our goal and are so excited to offer the Rising Stars opportunity to so many kids.

Paul Savramis Pitches in During 2014 LuHi Meal Packing Event

Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis was a chief organizer and volunteered during the recent LuHi Meal Packing Event, which supports food pantries in the New York City as well as those in the Philippines and Nicaragua. Here, he shares his inspirational experiences with giving back to the community.

Q: What was the goal of the LuHi Meal Packing Event?

Paul Savramis: For the fourth consecutive year, Long Island Lutheran High School hosted and organized a philanthropic activity open to businesses, schools, organizations, youth groups and churches in the area.

The goal was to complete at least 300,000 food packets during the event, which was achieved on the final day. That amount of food would feed up to 500 children each day for one whole year. Included in the food packets were dried vegetables, pinto beans, seasoning and vitamin mixes, as well as soy and rice. The meals were selected to provide nutritional balance for the recipients.

Paul Savramis Supports Organ Donation, Partners with National Donate for Life Foundation

Rising Stars founder and President Paul Savramis is well aware of the need of organ donation. Rising Stars director of funding and close personal friend Althea Williams is a kidney transplant recipient and therefore, participating in a campaign with National Donate for Life Foundation was a no-brainer for him. The organization offers strong community and educational outreach programs to inform the public about organ donation.

Q: Is it fair to assume you are a supporter of organ donation?

Paul Savramis: Absolutely. Using organs and tissues to help sick people is a wonderful thing.

Q: How extensive is the current shortage of organs?

Paul Savramis: In the US, more than 120,000 people require organ transplants to save their lives.  Thousands more are in need of tissue and cornea transplant to restore vision.

Paul Savramis and Rising Stars Sponsor “Meals from the Heart” Packing Event

Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis and a group of Rising Stars students visited the Long Island Lutheran High School gym from April 6-8, 2014 to continue a longstanding tradition. More than 30 young boys and girls packed food as part of Meals from the Heart’s overall efforts to give back to those less fortunate. The organizers directed these food packets to local food pantries and global organizations.

Q: How did the Meals from the Heart packing event begin?

Paul Savramis: The event began in 2009 as a small community effort where our students could complete a service requirement project. In the last five years, more and more people have begun sharing their time and money for this worthy cause.

Q: Was there a particular mission for this year’s event?

Paul Savramis: The stated goal of Meals from the Heart for this event was to create and distribute 300,000 food packets. That amount could feed 500 children every day for a whole year! Day and night sessions were available to allow for the schedules of all participants.

Paul Savramis and Rising Stars Work to Improve High School Graduation Rates

According to Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis, the future of many children in New York City is at risk. He invites families, businesses, schools and faith-based groups to join hands and support this growing concern. Savramis believes the available educational programs for at-risk youth have been insufficient to date.

New York City ranks among the worst cities in the country for high school graduates, says Paul Savramis, with some neighborhoods falling below 30 percent. More alarmingly, of those that do graduate, less than 20% are college ready.High school dropouts are more likely to be unemployed or incarcerated and experience health complications.

The Rising Stars Youth Foundation founded by Paul Savramis is a non-profit organization that takes an instructional and developmental approach to teaching basketball skills to a young audience. The leading mission of Rising Stars is to promote education and encourage  success in the classroom and beyond. With community service projects and mentoring programs, the young people involved in Rising Stars feel a sense of purpose through their involvement.

With Rising Stars, Paul Savramis Stands on Shoulders of Basketball Legends

Team sports offer much more than just athletic activities, says Paul Savramis. They can teach adolescents about some of life’s most important aspects. Impressionable young minds learn how kindness and respect can take them far. One core value that Paul Savramis endeavors to teach the youth of Rising Stars is the ability to lose with grace and perseverance. Over the years, mentors to Savramis have included a pair of the most significant names in the history of college basketball. Two of the primary influences in the career of Paul Savramis have been Hall of Fame coaches Jim Valvano (North Carolina State) and John Wooden (UCLA). He cites their ability to teach by example as an invaluable trait that encouraged others to follow their lead.

One of Coach Wooden’s most famous teachings is the Pyramid of Success, which encapsulates all of his values into a simple and easy-to-use method and paves the way for future personal and professional achievement. Wooden has taught that all of his students are capable of great things when adhering to the tenets of faith and hard work. The chief aspects of the Pyramid of Success include valuable traits such as team spirit, poise and enthusiasm, shares Paul Savramis. In the end, Wooden’s approach has worked well to find the greatness lying within each and every athlete that entered his court.

Paul Savramis Explains the "Rising Stars Difference"in helping improve HS graduation

Q: What exactly is the Rising Stars difference?

Paul Savramis: Rising Stars is a foundation committed to helping youth develop with their health and wellbeing. The team members of Rising Stars specifically use the power of teams and  teamwork as a way to promote education.

Q: What role has the Rising Stars organization played in the development of young people?

Paul Savramis: Since 1996, Rising Stars has graduated over 90 percent of high school seniors from the New York City area that participated in our programs. Our organization’s commitment is to ensure that these students are graduating college ready and prepared for their continued education.

Paul Savramis | Why Sports Remain a Teaching Tool for Youth & the Influence of Two Coaches

Learning the importance of teamwork, respect, dedication, kindness, hard work and fair play at an early age is a crucial part of a child’s development, says Rising Stars founder and humanitarian Paul Savramis. In team sports, spectators, coaches and players can draw a series of life lessons that will help them in every aspect of their lives.

Two of the most prominent influences in Savramis’ professional life have been John Wooden and Jim Valvano. Both of these titans of the sport possessed a knack for leading by example. According to Paul Savramis, John Wooden was far more concerned with the development of character than winning titles. Considering the fact that Wooden won 11 NCAA championships, that is quite a compliment. Wooden’s teaching model - Pyramid of Success - has become one of the most vital educational tools for coaches across the world. What made the legendary Hall of Fame coach so beloved was his remarkable insight and understanding of all the people he encountered, explains Savramis.

Paul Savramis Reflects on the Achievements of Rising Stars

"The Best Way To Predict The Future Is to Create It ”

Paul Savramis founded the Rising Stars organization to give youth a more promising future. For this reason, Paul Savramis views the many accolades Rising Stars has received over the years as a benchmark of the organization’s success. Several major public figures have lauded Rising Stars, including Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski (Rising Stars director’s Jay Williams coach) and several former Rising Stars participants who are now professional athletes.

But among the most notable of the Rising Stars’ acknowledgments is a 2003 letter from then-President George W. Bush commending Paul Savramis and Rising Stars for their work to further the future for America’s children. The letter acknowledged the importance of athletic participation in helping children learn the value of determination and endurance. As Paul Savramis points out, President Bush also honed in on basketball in the letter and how the sport teaches participants to set goals and work hard to reach them. That most of the learning  a child will receive is at a early age and through the medium of play was a educational principle Paul Savramis emphasized in his years as Rising Stars’ leader and it is something he continues to believe in today.

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