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Frequently Asked Questions

What (or Where) is Heaven's Playground?

Heaven's Playground(HP) is not a place but a grass-roots New Jersey-based organization that produces challenging amateur basketball tournaments to benefit children in need.

Starting from a backyard party, Heaven's Playground quickly evolved into a spirited charity tournament - which grew into a good reason for friends to get together with new friends. All our work is performed by unpaid volunteers with a special interest of including young adults to carry forward the mission - as they learn and enjoy the benefits of participating in building a non-profit organization.

Will I be able to play competively with my team? How good is the talent playing?

Our past tournaments have been competitive and we maintain an open registration policy for anyone, man or woman, to play. Teams that win generally are well balanced in talent with all three players. Many of the teams are of average skills. We know from experience that most of our teams return each year to try again. With short games and double-elimination, there are always possibilities and upsets,making the tournament exciting and unpredictable.

Our advice is to give it a try. Whether or not you win, you'll have fun and a good workout. Plus you'll be donating to a good cause.

What are the basic game rules?

All teams need to be registered one day prior to the tournament date. Games are arranged randomly and all teams are guaranteed at least two games. Games are played on half-court until a team scores 10 points. Winner's out. Referees are provided for all games. Teams must be present 15 minutes prior to their scheduled game time. A warm up court is provided if possible.

Can I bring a friend or my family?

Yes, definitely! We openly invite and encourage the public to all our tournaments and we do not charge admission to watch the excitement. Our feeling is that the players are more motivated to have fans watch and we are able to demonstrate what Heaven's Playground is all about.

We invite our tournament sponsors and charities to provide useful information and be a part of the action. We are also planning to add other activities this year that can provide fun for kids and spectators.

Who is responsible for Heaven's Playground?

Heaven's Playground is managed by a group of young adults and their families for the sole purpose of providing basketball tournaments to benefit children in need. We developed the idea over the years where we saw a desire for young people to get together for fun while supporting charitable causes.

Heaven's Playground now operates with a board of directors and tournament staff that meet several times a year to plan for our tournament programs, seek out worthy charities, and find generous sponsors that believe in our program. Our entire staff is madeup of unpaid volunteers.

You can be a member of our team too. Just contact us and let us know your interest. We'd be glad to add you to the HP team.

How do I register to play in a tournament?

HP uses an online registration system that is accessible from this website. We ask that you organize a team and provide the information and either pay online or send a check within one week of registration. We take credit cards, PayPal, and checks. You may also send in the registration form by mail or fax.

See the Player Registration section of this website for more details. Please keep in mind that all players must be registered to play prior one day prior to the tournament date and all fees must be paid before you can play.

How can I get involved and help by being part of Heaven's Playground?

Just give us a call at 973-285-0207 and you're on the team.
This website has a Contact Us form that provides a handy list of areas where you might help or where you can state your preference. We'd be glad to have you attend our working meetings and act as a volunteer at our tournaments. Also, we need people that are already familiar with promoting good causes to business and those that can assist in our liaison with our growing number of charities we support.

Where do player fees and donations go? Are they tax deductible?

Player fees are normally used to pay the cost of our tournaments which include facility rental, insurance, equipment, t-shirts and referees. We also incur promotional and other expenses to get the word out and provide hospitality to our players and fans. The remainder of our funds after expenses, which often rely on our generous sponsors and donors, are donated to one or more of our charities that help children in need. Heaven's Playground has donated over $8,000 to charities over the past five years.

Heaven's Playground is a 501(c)3 corporation that is dedicated to non-profit work. Donations paid to Heaven's Playground may be tax deductible.