Building Community & Hope Through Basketball

When Rob Lambert was a youth, he loved basketball and always wanted to play—this never changed even when he was experiencing homelessness.

One day, while shooting hoops on a court at the end of the parking lot of the shelter where he was staying, Rob was inspired to host a tournament with youth from nearby shelters.

He made flyers and posted them all around. Hearing nothing back, he arrived on the court that day, nervous and hopeful that someone, anyone would show up.

“I was sitting there thinking ‘I’m just some kid, no one wants to be a part of what I’m doing,” he said. “But when I saw those teams walking onto the court, I felt inspired that I could actually do this.”

Now, 20 years later, Rob is a shelter program supervisor at Covenant House and has been able to bring his dream to life for youth experiencing homelessness today. This year, Covenant House hosted their second annual community basketball tournament, building on the success of last year in bringing together youth from local shelters and community agencies to have an afternoon of skills-building and fun.

“Basketball isn’t just about putting a ball in the hoop,” Rob said. “It’s about trust, teamwork, being able to strategize – these are life skills. We’re using basketball to help young people see the best in themselves and in others.”

This year’s tournament, held at Jack Goodlad Park in Scarborough, welcomed youth from multiple shelters and community organizations. There was a barbeque, prizes and giveaways donated by caring community partners. Youth also got to enjoy games and cheered one another on. At the end, Covenant House’s team ‘The Spartans’ reigned victorious in the three on three, and were awarded a trophy.

“The tournament was a great way for Covenant House youth to build relationships with others and share information about who we are and what we do,” said housing manager Liza Hunte, who helped organize the tournament. “Being in a shelter doesn’t define you – there’s other parts of life. There’s fun, joy, connection and that’s what we celebrated together.”

For Rob, the tournament has been a meaningful full circle moment – one he feels teenage Rob, who used to carry garbage bags from one shelter to the next, would be proud of.

“I felt that having my own experiences as a youth put me in a position to give back to other young people through this tournament,” he said. “It has exceeded all of my expectations.”