About Crown Roots Foundation
Expanding the worldview of Pocono Mountain youth — because the mountain is not the whole world, and every kid deserves to know that.
Expanding the worldview of Pocono Mountain youth — because the mountain is not the whole world, and every kid deserves to know that.
Crown Roots Foundation exists to expand possibility for Pocono Mountain youth. Basketball is our gateway — mentorship, academics, and worldview expansion are the real work. Where you grow up shouldn’t determine whether you grow, and every young person on the mountain deserves the development, mentorship, and college-readiness pathways that show them how big the world really is. The Work Is the Reward.
A Pocono Mountain where kids know their world isn't confined to the zip code they were born in. Where academics and character are championed with the same energy as athletics. Where girls don't have to transfer to The Valley or other states' schools to compete, families don't choose between a part-time job and off-season training, and mentors are telling kids every day: you can be great in the classroom, on the court, and in life.
Two connected efforts carry the mission: United gets kids in the gym and the classroom. Crown Hub tells their story to the world.
Crown Roots' direct-service program. Basketball is the door — academics and mentorship are what's on the other side. Every kid on the mountain is welcome, regardless of what their family can pay.
Year-round local leagues that give Mountain youth a reason to walk through the door — and the reps Valley kids take for granted.
Academic scholarships are exponentially more obtainable than athletic ones. “Going to the League” isn’t a plan — a degree, trade, or certification is.
Alumni like Kiaya Jones and Daysha Mobley — 0 EFC kids who used the classroom to change their family’s trajectory — become the roadmap for the next class.
Crown Roots' flagship media platform — rosters, scores, spotlights, and stories from across the Pocono basketball and academic community. Still growing, but built to become the mountain's go-to home for youth sports and academics.
Visit thecrownhub.org →The numbers tell part of the story. The rest plays out in gyms, living rooms, and transfer paperwork across the Poconos every year.
Coaches are expected to develop girls within the regular season alone. Off-season open gyms sit nearly empty — the year-round culture Valley programs take for granted doesn’t exist here.
In economically disadvantaged households, a part-time job isn’t optional. No local pathway has made basketball worth the tradeoff.
Standout players transfer to Valley or out-of-state programs with the infrastructure the mountain lacks. We develop talent, then watch it walk out the door.
Without local role models or visible pathways, girls on the mountain aren’t growing up as fans or aspiring players. The pipeline was never built.
These numbers don’t tell the story of talent — they tell the story of access. When kids grow up without competitive programs, mentors, and information, the mountain becomes the whole world. It shouldn’t be.
On the mountain, that 49% average is spread across every school. There is no wealthy neighboring district to absorb the cost or subsidize programs. In the Valley, high-poverty districts like Allentown (91%) sit next to affluent ones like Parkland (23%) — and all of them are within 20 minutes of multiple AAU programs, YMCAs, and training facilities.
| Mountain Schools | Lehigh Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | 6 | 12 |
| Total Enrollment | 7,460 | 23,604 |
| Avg Econ. Disadvantaged | 49% | 46% |
| Girls AAU Programs | 0 | 2 |
| YMCA Locations | 1 | 2+ |
| Facilities / 100 sq mi | 1.6 | 4.1 |
| Drive to Girls Development | 45–60 min | 10–20 min |
| AAU Cost as % of Median Income | 2.4–9.1% | 1.5–5.4% |
Pocono Mountain School District has committed nearly $4.9 million to gym and athletic facility upgrades in recent years — including a $1.49M gym renovation at East High School and a $3.38M Wellness Center at West. These investments show the district values athletics. But a renovated gym without year-round programming is just a building. Without structured off-season development, the mountain’s girls still have nowhere to grow — no matter how new the floor is.