Multi Sports Athletes: A Formula For Success for the Rising Stars Youth Foundation

When founder Paul Savramis launched the Rising Stars Foundation 30 years ago, after spending a decade running basketball camps around the world, it began as Rising Stars Basketball Clinics.

At the time, basketball was the common thread, continuing the work Paul Savramis had started in 1980 through summer camps and clinics.

We asked Paul Savramis how that focus has evolved over the past 30 years.

TRS: Looking back over the past 30 years, we've seen a definite focus on basketball for both you and Rising Stars. How has that changed over the years?

Rising Stars Goes International

Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis goes the extra mile in celebrating the foundation’s 30th anniversary.

TCI: We have been hearing exciting news this month about Rising Stars’ 30th anniversary. Can you give us more details?

Paul Savramis: The news concerns a program that has always been a personal favorite of mine, and that’s international travel.

TCI: That is exciting, but not something that’s completely new. We understand you have had opportunities to offer travel since you began Rising Stars 30 years ago.

Paul Savramis: That’s correct. Rising Stars began international programs in cooperation with the Swiss All-Star Basketball programs and the late Charlie McCormick. Charlie brought myself and other members of Rising Stars to Switzerland for eight years. He built the original Rising Stars clinic model into sold-out offerings at popular tourist locations throughout the country.

After 30 Years, The Rising Stars Alumni, Friends, and Families Remain Larger Than Life

Over the past 30 years, Rising Stars has developed an incredible resource that sustains its growth and powers its journey into the future.

For Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis, that journey has highlighted as much meaning for him in what has been built off the basketball court as it has on it.

Paul Savramis always points out that the foundation of Rising Stars is the people behind it, and that includes its board, executive director, national ambassador, and alumni.

“I have spoken about how much Rising Stars relies on its alumni for everything it does day to day,” says Paul Savramis.

“What is just as important for me to emphasize is the friendships that go along with it and that Rising Stars has helped build.”

Those friendships, Paul Savramis goes on to describe, have grown to a degree where there isn’t any area of Rising Stars that doesn’t include a former Rising Star.

“Thirty years is a long time,” Paul Savramis will say when pressed on what this anniversary year means, but he always adds that time has developed a network beyond anything he could have imagined.

New Year Brings New Programs And the 30th Anniversary of The Rising Stars Foundation

The New Year brought a great deal of excitement for Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis.

First and foremost for Paul Savramis was that 2026 marked the beginning of the 30th anniversary of the Rising Stars Youth Foundation.

“I can’t believe that it’s been 30 years,” said Paul Savramis. “Looking back, there are so many milestones I can’t begin to list them here.”

For Paul Savramis, looking back has always been an exercise that helps him look ahead.

“I have seen so many good things happen over the past 30 years, but probably the most meaningful has been the core of leadership that’s grown with me and has become the best part of Rising Stars,” added Paul Savramis.

December Heralds a Spirit of Giving at Rising Stars

The Rising Stars calendar is a full one, with every month showcasing events the foundation offers.

Annual staples include fall and spring tryouts for the winter and summer basketball seasons, along with Rising Stars’ own March Madness, which helps determine the future of its senior class.

Sprinkled throughout the year are clinics, showcase tournaments, and its newest addition, Little Stars, which offers an introduction to basketball for girls and boys in grades pre-K through third.

But it is in December that Rising Stars rallies to bring every family together and demonstrates what the foundation’s meaning and purpose are truly about.

Rising Stars: Michael O’Connell Keeps the Dream Alive

After 30 years at the helm of the Rising Stars Youth Foundation, founder Paul Savramis is never at a loss when asked what areas stand out most to him.

Today, he focused on how being part of a team and having opportunities to learn through sports helps individuals grow. It allows young people to set goals, focus on achieving those goals, and most of all, to have a dream.

Savramis himself has seen dreams become reality, not only for the boys and girls in Rising Stars, but also for himself in building the Rising Stars Athletic Complex. This interview focused on one special Rising Stars dreamer and how the dreams he set early in life continue today.

October 2025 Heralds the Return of the Rising Stars "Little Stars"!

One of Rising Stars' most popular and certainly most endearing yearly programs is the K–3rd grade Little Stars. Talking to Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis, we asked about how this program began for Rising Stars and why it's one of his favorites.

Q: We see that your Little Stars program starts up again this fall. Why is this program so special?

Paul Savramis: Little Stars is special because it has a great backstory, and that story has a personal meaning for me. Little Stars came about from a program that was started by a great friend and former President 30 years ago, Mr. Jim Davis. It's also a program that I never understood until Jim made me a believer.

Q: Tell us a bit about Mr. Davis, how you met, and why you needed to become a believer in the idea of a Little Stars program.

Jim Davis

Paul Savramis: To start, you need to know that Jim was, and is, a part of NYC history. Jim started that history as a basketball player on the 1952 St. John's National Championship team versus Kansas that also featured a young Dean Smith.

Q: That's some history right there.

Paul Savramis: That's just the beginning. Although St. John's lost that final game, they upset powerhouse Kentucky, the team favored to win, to get there. 1952 remains a legacy year for St. John's. Jim then went on to play for the NBA's Charlotte Royals and continued his career and legend as one of the most decorated homicide detectives in NYC.

Executive Director Dan Gimpel and the Rising Stars Mission

It's been a busy summer for Rising Stars Executive Director Dan Gimpel, and the fall has been even busier.

As the Rising Stars Youth Foundation turns 30 this year, the responsibilities of keeping the program's mission Paul Savramis put together in 1996 continues to be Gimpel's top priority.

Gimpel was a Rising Star himself growing up in Queens, NY, and he played for Paul Savramis throughout high school, so his story is part of Rising Stars’ history. It's one story that he won't ever forget.

As Gimpel explains it, "I really wouldn't be where I am today if Paul Savramis hadn't given me the chance to be a part of Rising Stars. I lived the Rising Stars mission, and I have seen it work for a great many others like me."

Gimpel took on the duties of Executive Director in 2002. He joined Paul Savramis, Jay and Althea Williams, and a team of educators that worked with his coaches in providing the same opportunities that student-athletes need to succeed today that he was given.

Rising Stars Brings Back a Cornerstone Event

August 2025 heralds the return of a Rising Stars cornerstone event. On August 25, Rising Stars will bring back one of the foundation's most popular and enduring events, a cornerstone for 30 years: the end-of-summer four-day camp. This event has not been a part of the Rising Stars calendar since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

We asked Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis about the long hiatus and why this event is so special.

Q: We see on the website and in your newsletters that you're bringing back the end-of-summer camp. Why now, and why have you waited so long?

Paul Savramis: COVID-19 was a terrible time for everyone and very hard for children. It made all activities a challenge even after full restrictions were lifted. It was especially challenging not having a facility of our own and having to navigate around restrictions set by various other sites.

The World of Difference: From Travel to Education

For Paul Savramis, founder of Rising Stars, "Making a World of Difference" has always been a personal mission. When asked about what the organization meant to him, Savramis would often reply about the life lessons that travel taught him and his team. A man of Greek heritage, born in Athens, Paul Savramis knows firsthand the life-changing experience of coming to America, a lesson he believes is just as relevant for today's international and American players. He has led Rising Stars teams and clinics to Greece, Switzerland, Italy, the Bahamas, and France for cultural and social activities, where players have met and competed against foreign teams.

Rising Stars: A Mission Beyond Simple

One of the most challenging questions Rising Stars' founder, Paul Savramis, is asked is to describe the mission of his foundation. Paul Savramis fields this question at every Foundation event, usually accompanied by the request for a "simple, abridged elevator version." For Paul Savramis, that question remains difficult to answer because the mission is anything but simple.

The Rising Stars website states the mission very simply: "To Promote Education." However, an additional description continues, "Utilizes the power of teams to introduce the important values children will need to make correct decisions during their formative years." Then there's the foundation's staple: "To offer children opportunities to Play; Learn; and Grow."

March Madness Continues in May as Rising Stars Teams Led by Executive Director Dan Gimpel Bring in the Championships

Following the wins, we asked Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis why Gimpel’s championships stood out for him from the others.

Q: What made Dan Gimpel’s championships stand out for you this month? 

Paul Savramis: To answer that, I need to stress that every win by any Rising Stars team is a special one for all of us, but what Danny has done with his team has a backstory that makes his wins stand out for me.

Q: Considering how many highlight tournaments there have been this year, that's something we'd want to hear. 

Paul Savramis: To start, Dan is much more than a coach for Rising Stars. As the Executive Director of Rising Stars, he lived through 30 years of championships as a Rising Stars player before taking on his role as a Rising Stars coach. Dan’s wins, and also his losses as a player, definitely contributed to how he approaches the game as a coach. This team's success, and its wins, are special because Dan has built on it from the third grade.

Looking Back Over Rising Stars' 30-Year History, The Topic Of "What Stands Out Most" Always Comes Up For Founder Paul Savramis

Today, we look back at a topic we brought to light again this April as Rising Stars celebrated the start of a new program that has roots in Rising Stars' past. We discuss with Paul Savramis how this promises to have a tremendous impact on its future.

Q: What exactly is the new program that has everyone so excited at Rising Stars, and why is it so special for you, Paul Savramis?

Paul Savramis: The new program addresses today's performance expectations among parents and young athletes and the excess pressure placed on them to meet those expectations. That issue has to be part of what we deal with in the future.

March Madness Adds New Highlights and Brings Back Great Memories for Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis

2025 Madness came early for Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis, as three RS alumni celebrated two NCAA Division III National Championships.

The first national championship was on the women's side, with NYU freshman and RS alumna Caitlin Kenny sharing the national stage with an NYU team that now boasts two consecutive national championships, a 65-game winning streak, and a #1 ranking.

"Caitlin has been a Rising Star since she could walk," said Paul Savramis. "Her mother, Sue Kenny, a former St. John's University player, coaches our national Nike EYBL team with Jill Cook, a former USA Olympics coach."

Paul Savramis usually can never say enough about his girls' teams, but this time it's Caitlin Kenny doing all the talking.

On the men's side, Savramis points to Paul Jordan and Tristan Davis playing for Trinity College, which secured the team's first-ever national championship win against top-ranked NYU. Adding to the madness for Savramis was that NYU coach David Klatzky played for Rising Stars!

Paul Savramis said that both Jordan and Davis chose Trinity over Division I opportunities for the education program it offered, in addition to the athletic side, and both boys couldn't be happier.

March Madness has always been a very special time for both Savramis and Rising Stars. Savramis recalls that last year, two Rising Stars alumni took center stage in the Final Four. "That was a big deal for our kids," said Paul Savramis. "Seeing players that they knew on the national stage made watching the games more exciting and extra special."

Savramis also points to Joakim Noah on the Rising Stars Athletic Complex wall and to the Championship Jersey presented to him from back-to-back championships at Florida.

That jersey is one of many from RS alumni who have been to the dance.

"NCAA Championships have been a part of Rising Stars history for 30 years," said Paul Savramis, "but two stand out for me with an extra special meaning."

The first was the 1985 national championship Villanova team.

Savramis recalled how special that team was for him and how, on the 20th anniversary of that win, Villanova coach Rollie Massimino brought his entire team to the New York Athletic Club to help celebrate the Rising Stars annual Gala.

Paul Savramis likes to emphasize that basketball is more than just a game and has a greater meaning than the number of wins or losses a team has.

His focus remains on grassroots community programs and teaching the game the right way to his K-3 program.

For Paul Savramis and Rising Stars, what's more important than a national championship is any lesson you can learn, winning or losing, from the game. For Savramis, one such lesson came with the 2001 championship win by Duke over Arizona and from consensus All-American Jay Williams. The game ball from that game, signed by both teams and given to Savramis, sits in the Rising Stars office, and when asked why that one win warranted a special description, Savramis is quick to reply.

"That ball was given by Rising Stars alumnus and ambassador Jay Williams, along with a lesson for a future generation." After winning the national championship that year, Jay was informed he was going to be the #1 draft pick in the lottery if he left.

Jay and his family placed a greater value on his education and returned to Duke to graduate and get his degree. It's a decision Jay Williams never regrets and still talks about to Rising Stars kids today. It's also a lesson that reflects the mission of Rising Stars.

Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis Advocates for International Travel

Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis has long been a strong advocate for expanding the national Rising Stars footprint to include international travel.

Paul Savramis attributes a significant portion of his program's success to the numerous opportunities his teams have had to compete both across the United States and around the world.

Paul Savramis readily acknowledges the profound impact of being part of Van Coleman's Future Stars network in Iowa on his personal development. He also considers the eight years he spent working with the late Charlie McCormick in Switzerland to be among the highlights of Rising Stars' history.

Paul Savramis recalls that travel provided him with the ability to use basketball as a "passport" into various languages and cultures.

"That," says Paul Savramis, "really impressed upon me what basketball can do to connect with others, transcending language barriers through a shared love of the game."

Rising Stars has shared that love in Israel, the Bahamas, and, most recently, in Greece this month.

"Basketball Around The World Founder James McCullough has been a coach with the Rising Stars program for more than a decade and was instrumental in bringing our teams to Greece last year," said Paul Savramis.

Currently, James McCullough is providing individual and group training, as well as program creation, in Costa Rica. He has expressed interest in expanding his international footprint beyond Greece and Costa Rica.

James McCullough's 2025 trip to Greece will be his eighth, conducted in coordination with the Super League Athletic Academy (SLAA).

SLAA organizes 8-10 day tours of Greece for youth teams, featuring games against local teams, training sessions through the Hellenic Basketball Federation, and sightseeing, meals, transportation, and accommodations. "Basketball is a passion that is not limited by international borders, cultures, or languages," Paul Savramis continued.

With 10 years of coaching experience at the NCAA level, Basketball Around The World's goal is to combine that experience with Rising Stars' 30-year history to spread the love of the game worldwide.

"My passion has always been to bring our special brand of instructional basketball to new places and meet new people," Paul Savramis continued. "I will personally always consider our Maui camp at the Lahaina Center among the best times of my life."

"Basketball is a great way to open doors and to offer what you can to others. One thing I can say without hesitation is that what you get back in return is always a great deal more than you put in."

New Year, New Hope, New Memories To Come, Says Paul Savramis

 

January 2025 brings more than a new year for Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis.

As Savramis put it, "The New Year brings back a Rising Stars classic event that, although far from new, will be featured for the first time at the new Rising Stars Athletic Complex."

The classic event Paul Savramis is referring to is the return of the Rising Stars four-day end-of-summer camp.

"The format of our four-day camps has been a focal point of our yearly programs for thirty years," he explains.

A Circle of Support: Mentorship at the Heart of Rising Stars

When recognized for any Rising Stars accomplishment, founder Paul Savramis is quick to share the wealth.

As Paul Savramis looks over the walls of the new Rising Stars Athletic Complex and the faces that smile back at him from those walls, he thinks back to 1996 and points out that many of the original Rising Stars directors are gone. Any credit for what Rising Stars has become today, Savramis will tell you, should include a long list of others whom he felt now rightfully belong on that first group, or as he likes to put it, the "village of original pioneers" that helped make a vision into a reality.

Founder Paul Savramis is proud to say that today's village pays great homage to the original foundation upon which Rising Stars was built. So much so, Savramis continues, that most of today's group was a product of the Rising Stars program. The group Savramis credits today is a "who's who" of Rising Stars and are the ones who have come and stayed.

November 2024 Brings Rising Stars Basketball Clinics Back Home

When Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis is asked what has significantly impacted Rising Stars' evolution over the past 28 years, one word immediately comes to mind: clinics.

Talking further with Paul Savramis, he emphasizes that clinics weren't just a part of Rising Stars; they defined its beginnings and recognition.

As Paul Savramis explains, Rising Stars started as a series of one-day and weekend instructional basketball clinics sponsored by Nike and Wilson Sports in the 90’s. These clinics evolved into yearly programs featuring camps, travel teams, and overall training.

"Rising Stars was originally referred to as the 'Rising Stars Basketball Clinics,'" continued Paul Savramis. "They were unique in that the concept of one clinician with one ball talking to a group was replaced by everyone in that group having a ball and learning by doing along with the clinicians. Multiple coaches would move throughout the group during the clinics, demonstrating skills rather than just explaining them."

At the time, Paul Savramis points out, this simple concept was truly innovative and gained traction. This clinic model and teaching style helped Rising Stars develop a reputation as a basketball school rather than just a camp.

And that, Paul Savramis continued, was something that caught on so much so that European programs brought Savramis and his staff to showcase this style for their players.

One Year Anniversary Of The New Rising Stars Athletic Complex Comes With A Very Special Meaning For Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis

It's been one year since the ribbon-cutting ceremony that signaled the grand opening of Rising Stars’ new athletic complex and we asked Founder Paul Savramis what that meant to him.

Q. It's been one year since the ribbon-cutting ceremony. What are you feeling and how has this year been different from the ones before?

Paul Savramis: After 28 years, this one year stands alone in a very significant way: we now have something to call home. The ribbon-cutting was a ceremony to celebrate that but it took a year for it to really sink in.

Q: October has always been a huge month for Rising Stars; how has this October been different with your having that home?

Paul Savramis: In every way possible. October is the beginning of Rising Stars’ fall season and that means fall tryouts. This year we were able to host those ourselves and families got to see the future. In addition to that, we hosted our middle school showcase at the complex and we were able to schedule our training and other activities all under one roof.

Q: How important was having that option as opposed to what you needed to do in the past?

Paul Savramis: Aside from always waiting for other sites to confirm availability and not having the ability to really promote our fall programs, knowing this was all set was a huge lift for all our coaches and administrators after all those years struggling to put things together on someone else's timeline.

Q: You have been quoted using the statement "It takes a village to raise a child." Does that reference your definition of Rising Stars’ expanding role in the community?

Paul Savramis: Absolutely! Rising Stars has always used community service requirements as one of the pillars of its scholar-athlete programs. Having the ability to now bring together those community programs under our roof enabled us to become a hub for others and allowed us to give back.

Q: How did you capitalize on that?

Paul Savramis: We began by offering one of our partners, the Long Island Alzheimer’s and Dementia Foundation, space to hold tryouts for their fundraising events. But we now have so much more to offer than a gymnasium. The complex has a separate community meeting room and classroom, which holds financial literacy sessions offered by another partnership with Jovia Bank.

Q: You mention Jovia Bank. That's a new addition to the Rising Stars programs. Has the athletic complex helped bring in other community partners?

Paul Savramis: The athletic complex certainly helped, but our partner organizations have become involved with Rising Stars through our yearly academic and community programs and being able to connect with those families. That said, having everything under one roof makes it all a great deal more attractive.

Q: What other partnerships have come about over the past years as a result of having a home?

Paul Savramis: Orlin and Cohen have been a great addition for us. They have offered concussion awareness programs, free injury assessment, recovery sites, and so much more to help our families. This one program has been an incredible experience for our athletes and greatly appreciated by parents.

Q: Year one sounds like it could be the beginning of many more for Rising Stars and signal a new purpose for the foundation.

Paul Savramis: Without a doubt. Rising Stars has always tried to keep true to its original mission statement which remains “To Promote Education.” With the addition of financial literacy, injury prevention, concussion awareness and so many other updates, we are using the complex to develop both mind and body. This is something we have always tried to do.

Q: One last question. As October ends are there any new partnerships or activities in the mix?

Paul Savramis: We are excited to be in a position where we have organizations looking to come in to help us do more. Both existing ones, like Wilson Basketball, that now helps support our new Little Stars for K-3 and newly added for October, GOAT brand Active Wear which will be the fall apparel line for our families.

Paul Savramis: Summer 2024 Heats Up for Rising Stars Girls Programs

Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis says the Rising Stars girls’ program has a fever, which is a really good thing.

"This summer has seen a huge uptick in interest from our younger girls looking to play basketball, and some part of that has to be because of Caitlin Clark and the Fever team this year," Paul Savramis explained. "Caitlin has transformed girls' basketball and sports in general, beginning at Iowa and ending as WNBA's 2024 Rookie of the Year."

Paul Savramis has long been a strong advocate for his foundation's girls programs, and his advocacy has only gotten stronger this year. "Our girls have taken center stage this summer in both national and local competition, and that has a great deal to do with the program's leadership," said Paul Savramis.