Beginning tonight and for the next seven weeks, 200 Denver middle school students will play in a new basketball league sponsored by the Denver Nuggets, the City and County of Denver, the Denver Public Schools Foundation, the Mayor’s Office for Education and Children and Comfort Dental.

“We are thrilled to see this first-ever basketball league benefiting DPS middle school students.  We are grateful for the support kids are receiving from a broad coalition of entities. Without their combined support, the league would not have happened,” said Steve Katich, President of the Denver Public Schools Foundation.

The league, an independent extension of the Denver Nuggets/Colorado Avalanche Prep League, benefits DPS students and includes eight teams for boys and nine teams for girls.

The teams will play their first games at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 8 (today) at South High School. Games will be played on Tuesdays and Thursdays at East (1545 Detroit St.) and South (1700 E. Louisiana Ave.) high schools. The championship game will be Monday, July 19 at the Pepsi Center. For summer basketball league schedule information, access www.nba.com/nuggets.

“The City is pleased to join the Denver Nuggets and the DPS Foundation in establishing this league.  Providing a positive experience through basketball this summer for 200 of our young women and men is something we wanted to support,” said Denver City Councilman Michael Hancock.  Councilman Hancock played an invaluable role in making the league a reality.

The Denver Nuggets/Colorado Avalanche Prep League has been a success since its inception in 1997. By creating a sports league (volleyball, basketball, soccer, hockey, baseball, softball and flag football) for boys and girls in 24 DPS middle schools, more than 3,000 middle school students who maintain a C average or better in each class participate in 1,560 games in the league annually. The existence of this academic requirement helps students develop good study habits and appreciate the importance of maintaining good grades in order to have the privilege of playing organized sports.

Denver Nuggets/Colorado Avalanche Prep League participating middle schools are: Baker, Cole, Gove, Grant Ranch K-8, Grant, Hamilton, Henry, Hill, Horace Mann, Kepner, Kunsmiller, Lake, Martin Luther King Jr., Merrill, Moore K-8, Morey, Noel, Place, Randolph, Rishel, Skinner, Slavens K-8 and Smiley.

For more information, contact the DPS Public Information Office at 720-423-3414.