Today we’d like to introduce you to Haron Saadeh.
Haron, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We initially started this organization to help raise funds for a gymnasium rehab at a Mosque in the NW Suburbs. After doing basketball tournaments for a few years, we were able to help cover the majority of the expenses needed. We continued doing basketball tournaments to help other Organizations that needed help with funding for various reasons. Soon we had teams from other States in the Midwest who would come and participate in our tournaments. We saw this as an opportunity to grow and do more sporting activities. Over the years we have grown to include basketball leagues, softball tournaments, flag football leagues, women sports leagues and kids sports camps. Annually, we currently hold 2 Men bball leagues, an interfaith bball tournament, 2 Men flag football leagues, Men softball and volleyball tournaments, Women basketball and volleyball tournaments and kids basketball camps.
Has it been a smooth road?
We learned that nothing is ever smooth or goes as planned. With the many hours we put in planning our events, there is always something that comes up and throws a wrench in the planning. It can be as little as teams not showing up to the events, gyms not being available for the event, arguments that happen between participants and something big like not having enough funds for an event. But over the years, we have learned how to anticipate these unforeseen circumstances and they happen less often. The events take lots of time and sometimes have a toll on our personal lives, but we always enjoy doing the events.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the One! Athletics story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a non-profit organization devoted to serving the best interest of the Chicago communities. We hope to strengthen our communities though service and education through sports and creating a better environment for our youth to be active.
We strive to promote unity and joint action among all faiths through sports. Our best example of this is our Annual Interfaith Basketball Tournament. We have an average of 24-30 teams who participate in each tournament that come from different backgrounds, faiths and skill levels.
We cater to youth and adults of all backgrounds and create an environment where everyone can connect and network with one another and create bonds that will go further on in life. One! Athletics has created friendships with similar Organizations in Chicago to help work together and make each other stronger in trying to achieve their personal goals.
One! Athletics takes pride, along with all of our participants, in making a donation to a great cause from each of one! Athletics event. Over the past 3 years we were able to raise and donate a total of 10k to various charitable causes.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We hope to continue on the same path we are currently on. We definitely want to grow and include more sporting events in the Chicago land area. We want to be able to open up a gymnasium under the One! Athletics umbrella and be able to provide a safe haven for Chicago kids to play.
Pricing:
- Interfaith Basketball Tournament – $450
- Sports Leagues – $750
- Kids Sports Camps – $95
Contact Info:
- Address: 10 N. Ashby Way, Bensenville, IL 60106
- Website: www.oneathletics.org
- Phone: 312-945-6628
- Email: info@oneathletics.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one_athletics/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/One.Athletics/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/one_athletics
Image Credit:
1. State Street Photography
2. Ayman Hussein
3. Aseel Quad
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