🏀 Ava Thomas Honored with the Renee DiGiulio–Naismith Courage and Grit Award

Presented by the Naismith International Basketball Foundation (NIBF)

🌟 About Ava Thomas

Ava Thomas, Class of 2026 at The Mary Louis Academy (TMLA) in Jamaica, NY, is a rising student-athlete who exemplifies strength, balance, and brilliance. Representing the Rising Stars program, Ava has consistently demonstrated elite performance, unmatched work ethic, and the heart of a leader—on and off the court.

🏆 About the Award

Ava was selected as the 2025 recipient of the Renee DiGiulio–Naismith Courage and Grit Award—a national honor presented by the Naismith International Basketball Foundation to student-athletes who demonstrate:

• 🔥 Relentless determination in the face of adversity
• 📚 Dedication to academic and athletic excellence
• 🫶🏽 Leadership rooted in integrity and sportsmanship
• 💪🏾 Courage, grit, and personal sacrifice

🏀 Special Recognition

This award honors not only Ava’s athletic journey but also her character and positive influence in her community. She now has been elevated into an elite group of youth leaders helping to carry forward the legacy of Dr. James Naismith and the true values he founded the game on: HONOR – DIGNITY – RESPECT.

“Ava Thomas represents the exact spirit Dr. Naismith envisioned when he created the game — someone who leads with honor, competes with heart, and uplifts others in every space she enters. This is more than an award — it’s a torch being passed to a future leader.”
— Hector R. Perdomo Sr., President, NIBF

📸 Award Ceremony

📍 Location: [TBD]
📅 Date: [TBD]
🎙️ Special Guest: Ms. Lynette Woodard Presenter
Ms. Lynette Woodard — Olympic Gold Medalist, First Female Harlem Globetrotter, and All-Time Leading Scorer in Women’s NCAA Basketball History. Thee first female to receive our very own Naismith Good Sportsmanship Award – 2000
📧 Contact: info@naismithfoundation.org

🕊️ Renee DiGiulio — A Light for Those Without One

Renee DiGiulio was not just the namesake of this award — she was the soul behind its mission. A woman of unstoppable spirit and immense compassion, Renee served as the heart of the Naismith International Basketball Foundation (NIBF), where she helped launch youth programs, medical relief efforts, and leadership camps across the Caribbean and the U.S.

She was known as the “Mother Teresa of the Caribbean” for her tireless efforts in helping abandoned, underserved, and terminally ill children, even while fighting her own battle with breast cancer. Renee’s fight never stopped her from serving others. She made phone calls with IVs in her arm, skipped chemo to deliver hope, and held the hearts of forgotten children as if they were her own.

🌍 Renee’s Caribbean Kids Coalition — Her Torch Lives On

Renee was the visionary founder of the Caribbean Kids Coalition — a mission born from her work as a travel agent, where she saw firsthand the forgotten children across the islands. This work created an unshakable bond with St. Kitts and other Caribbean communities, where she became a light in places too often overlooked.

Her partnership of 22-year's ultimately married — Mr. Ian “Yan” Naismith, the grandson of Dr. James Naismith, This anchored that mission. And together, they transformed basketball from just a sport into a global tool for dignity, healing, and hope. She didn’t just support Ian’s vision — she became its co-architect, forging a legacy rooted in compassion, unity, and grit.

“Renee turned her travel routes into mission routes. She connected the forgotten with the faithful, and gave the voiceless a champion who never stopped fighting. Her work continues through all of us.”
— Hector R. Perdomo Sr., President, NIBF

Congratulations Ava — your legacy is just beginning. Keep rising.

#NIBF #AvaThomas #CourageAndGrit #NaismithLegacy #ReneeDiGiulio #RisingStars