Antonio Little Scholarship Fund

Antonio Little Memorial tournament canceled for safety reasons, organizers still hope to raise scholarship money:

ROCKFORD, IL (July 13) - The Antonio Little Memorial Hoops Tournament, scheduled for August 8th at the UW Health Sports Factory, has been canceled due to continuing COVID-19 concerns.

“Our committee discussed all aspects of the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the Phase 4 guidelines for event operators,” said Mat Parker, former South Beloit boys basketball coach and current Rockford Public Schools Director of Athletics, Activities and Programs. “With the capacity limitations, safety concerns and a significant number of past participants and volunteers not feeling fully safe being indoors, we decided that overall community spirit and intent of the tournament would not be possible in early August. We will begin planning for August of 2021.”

Antonio Little was a South Beloit High School graduate who in 2009 led the Sobos to their first IHSA regional title since 1978. In 2015, Little was working with kids at the YMCA of Rock River Valley and helping Parker plan a reunion of the 2009 team when he went missing on Memorial Day weekend and found a month later having drowned in the Rock River.

His former teammates and coaches held a private tournament in his honor in 2015. In 2017, they launched a public tournament, using Little’s memory to raise money for scholarships. In 2019, 24 teams played, raising more than $3,000. That funded two $1,500 scholarships for Rashad Ahmad of Guilford and Marissa Ott of South Beloit.

Parker said they still hope to raise $3,000 this year to fund two more scholarships this coming school year. If you’d like to donate to the scholarship fund in Antonio Little’s honor, you may do so at https://www.gofundme.com/f/antonio-little-scholarship-fund.


The story behind the Antonio Little Memorial Tournament and Scholarship Fund: 
 
South Beloit High School in Illinois has a proud basketball tradition. Its greatest player was Perry Range, who ended up playing at the University of Illinois and in the preseason for the NBA. The SoBos won six IHSA regionals or district titles between 1968 and 1978. As recently as 2002-2003, under coach Greg Fiorucci, South Beloit went 25-3.

The program then fell on hard times and by the time we took over at South Beloit, the SoBos had won 13 games in the prior three years. When we started in 2006-2007, the community was hungry for a winner and fortunately so were the players.

By 2008-2009, a dedicated group of young men rebuilt the program to the point South Beloit won a school-record 28 games that season and the first IHSA regional title since 1977-1978.

Antonio Little was the leading scorer and emotional leader of that team. It's hard to overstate how much we leaned on not only his ability but his maturity.

After three straight 20-win seasons and playing in three regional championship games, I left in 2011 to become the athletic director of the Rockford Public School District. It's a big job and I miss coaching. I especially miss being around such an outstanding group of individuals. The players and coaches from the era have remained close. It's gone from a player-coach relationship to meaningful friendships.

In 2015, several of us began discussing some kind of reunion. Antonio, who had attended Elmhurst College, Rock Valley College and Northern Illinois University, was working with youngsters at the YMCA, was a big part of that and was on a steering committee to make it happen.

Antonio then went missing over Memorial Day weekend. His friends and family searched frantically before our worst fears were confirmed. He was found about a month later having drowned in the Rock River. There were no signs of trauma. Exactly what happened that weekend remains a mystery.

The reunion instead turned into a day of cooking out, playing hoops and sharing memories of Antonio. It brought us back together and made us want to do something bigger. Something that would memorialize Antonio and help our future youth. So that's what we have done. 

We have slowly grown the fundraiser and the last two years, we were fortunate to utilize the UW Health Sports Factory to have a day-long tournament in Antonio's honor, featuring adults and kids throughout the venue. More than 300 individuals participated and we raised just over $3,000 in 2019. We were able to give two college scholarships of $1,500 to two deserving seniors as a result. 

After last years success and momentum, we were working hard and excited to continue to make this a fun summer basketball tournament raising funds for the right reasons. If you've ever played a team sport, the bonds you build are almost as strong as family. Our hope is to continue to bring the basketball community together for one big gala day of hoops once again in August of 2021. If Antonio were with us, he'd be on his phone, asking for support to help our future youngsters in our small way. So now we ask for your support in his memory to help youngsters like he would have been doing.  "FAMILY ON 3!"

If you'd like to be a sponsor this year we sure do appreciate your support! Please find more information here Antonio Little Memorial Tournament . 

Sincerely,

the Antonio Little Memorial fund committee