Walking into the Glynn Academy Gym on a summer Friday night, the squeak of sneakers on a hardwood court and hum of teenage chatter fill the air.
For dozens of local kids, the otherwise empty school building transforms into an intense arena, the atmosphere akin to an NBA Finals game, where they engage in good- natured trash-talking and fun.
Rising Brunswick High School freshman Jer’kavien Fuler, who says his basketball style takes after Jayson Tatum’s, is one of the regulars at the Glynn County Friday Night Hoops program, drawn by the intensity of the matchups.
Thanks to local businesses and volunteers, the evenings represent something equally important: a place where Brunswick teens can gather on a weekend night, stay focused on positive activities and get fed. And, like a recent Friday night, sometimes get the surprise of their lives.
Fuler, 14, was one of 39 kids who picked up some new kicks — a new pair of Nike Giannis Immortality 5 Basketball Shoes — which will definitely help him play up to his NBA hero.
Looking radiant after opening the box, Fuler called a friend to share the joy.
“Bro, I just got the Giannis’s!” Fuler exclaimed during a FaceTime call.
The Friday night basketball program is an official county-sponsored recreational program that attracts between 60 to 100 teenage boys and girls each weekend.
The initiative started in 2023, led by Glynn County Manager William “Bill” Fallon shortly after he joined the county staff after a career at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. For years, Fallon had seen the need for more activities for Brunswick-area youth, and as a senior leader of the county, he found allies to make the summer league a reality.
“Throughout the school year they have games, and they have practice and other things to do during the school year. But in the summer there’s not a lot to do,” Fallon said about local teenagers. “So I thought, all right, at least one weekend night a month or one weekend night a week in the summer, to just give them an option, so they’re not out in the street hanging around or doing other things that they shouldn’t be doing.”
This year, kids entering 6th Grade through 11th Grade can take part on any Friday the program is held.
The program has grown from about 50 to 60 kids in 2023, to 60 to 80 last year, and to 80 to 100 in 2026. So many teens came this year that organizers opened a the second gym throughout June so that four games could be played at once.
Fuler first heard about the program from a friend at the Boys and Girls Club, the kind of word-of-mouth promotion that helps boost numbers among teenagers with little to do on summer nights and little money to pursue hobbies or entertainment.
Fallon said the league offers kids a place to have fun and an opportunity for local businesses to give back. As the number of participants grows, he said, he has observed children in need, with many showing up to play basketball wearing flip-flops and Crocs.
“I saw a couple of kids where one would play, and then the other would play, and then one would sit out, and I asked them what they were doing, and they told me they had one pair of shoes to split,” Fallon recalled.
Both the county manager and volunteers work to meet those needs, often partnering with the Chamber of Commerce to secure sponsorships.
For example, kids who show up always get dinner — last Friday a local McDonald’s franchise sponsored the food. Other times, free shoes are on offer.
A summer opportunity
Fallon decided on Friday nights so the kids wouldn’t have any energy to cause trouble on Saturdays. They play game after game throughout the event, with the younger kids playing from 6 to 8 p.m. and the older kids from 8 to 10 p.m.
Fallon emphasized that without the community’s support, as well as the county commissioners’, the program would not be possible.
Fallon is proud of the program and its impact. To build more participation, though, one need still remains elusive: transportation.
Scooters and bicycles littered the hallway outside the gym during the game times for middle school-age kids on a recent Friday night. Many more children, Fallon says, may not have a way to show up after dark.
“A lot of the kids walk, but some carpool. Another reason we did it here at Glynn Academy is that it’s in a good area where a lot of kids can actually walk, but we also stay after with some of the kids to make sure they get picked up. Some of the older kids can drive themselves,” Fallon explained.
Fallon said one of the reasons the program is so successful is the amount of volunteers who reach out to him to participate.
Community building
One of those is 24-year-old Lexi Tofanelli, who hails from Iowa City and moved to Coastal Georgia to work for Sea Island Company as a corporate event planner,
Tofanelli referees and helps with everything else, including encouragement or de-escalation on the court or the stands when kids get too chirpy.
Tofanelli, who has a passion for youth sports, also coaches soccer and girls’ basketball for the county’s league for 8- to 12-year-olds.
“You can tell that this means a lot to kids,” she said about the summer program, especially children who are part of Safe Harbor, a nonprofit organization that serves children, families, and individuals who have been abused, are homeless or have run away from home, and are at risk.
“It’s cool to get kids who maybe aren’t able to go and meet other kids their age to be able to come together over the summertime especially, and get food and get to hang out,” she said.
One of the biggest rewards for Tofanelli is watching the number of girls willing to compete with boys and even play better.
She says that the volunteer work has allowed her to build relationships in the community and get to know some of the kids who attend, including some she has recruited to play basketball in the fall.
Fierce competition
As one recent Friday night progressed, the young hoopers displayed tight handles, as well as many missed shots and passes.
Teams on the court wore different jersey colors, as well as distinct team characteristics. Some shot at will. Others dribbled the air out of the ball. The team in the pink jerseys, led by a young girl, played lockdown defense.
Fuler gave the green jerseys team an advantage with his height. The 14-year-old used that often to crash the glass.
He said he plans to return next summer, as long as the level of competition stays high.
The only complaint the soon-to-be freshman had about the summer hoop league is one his NBA hero often airs as well: the officiating.
“Now the referees aren’t bad. I ain’t gonna say that, but some calls could be better,” he said.
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