Rising Stars was founded by Paul Savramis in the early 1990’s as a series of summer camps but has since been on a decades long journey of changing the lives of countless children and their families.

In 1996, the program became a non-for-profit Youth Foundation using teams as the vehicle and education as the platform. 

Dan Gimpel, a Rising Star himself, became Program Director in 2000 and Executive Director in 2007. He was joined in his efforts by ESPN’s Jay Williams, another former Rising Stars alumnus, and Althea Wiliams, a school administrator and staunch advocate of innovative educational methods of Rising Stars.  The three joined Mr. Sarvramis to help expand the organization. The expansion included a girls program, a full-time Educational Director, and an all encapsulating approach to the overall personal growth of the children involved.

RISING STARS TODAY

Today, Rising Stars is staffed with dozens of dedicated professionals and is considered one of the most elite, educationally-centered youth programs in the country.  In December 2023, our dream became a reality with the opening of The Rising Stars Athletic Complex in Freeport, NY. This 16,000 sq/ft state-of-the-art space has provided us with the unique privilege to not only host Rising Stars basketball events but also serve as a universal sports hub for the greater community.