A new basketball league for young men ages 19-25 started Saturday in Youngstown. The Respect Basketball League is now open, the goal being to provide life skills and improve overall quality of life. 

The Respect League already has the support of the city mayor's office, the Central YMCA (where the games will be played every Saturday), the Youngstown Police Department and Eastern Gateway Community College. 

Some of the goals the league and its leaders have set is to reduce violence, inspire and encourage players to be productive members of the community. 

Respect League Commissioner Randy Nuby says a lot of members in the Youngstown community need something like this to get through each week. 

"Young men don't have any direction," Nuby said. "They have nothing to do, so I created this scenario to try to improve, empower and save lives. The primary goal is to get 225 young men off the street on a Saturday [and] in the gym. Provide them with skills. Educational skills, vocational skills, all types of training and to help them get a job." 

Youngstown Central YMCA Sports and Recreational Director and Ursuline graduate D'Aundray Brown says pairing life skill lessons and athletics can go a long way for a lot of different people in the Valley. Brown played basketball at Cleveland State prior to playing with the Canton Charge, the G-League affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

"Me being a former athlete, knowing the importance of basketball and the power of sports, to see something like this in the community where we're pulling not only the sport together, but we're pulling mentors and education into it as well," Brown said. "[It's] pouring into our youth, into the city and I think it'll only be very positive for us." 

The Respect League has plans in place to play basketball games every Saturday at the YMCA location in Youngstown. The 18 teams, which consist of 12 players each, will eventually play in a bracket-format playoff, with a final four and champion at the end of the season.