The Association of Poinciana Villages (APV), Florida’s largest homeowners association, has announced a new partnership with The Florida Basketball Association (FBA). The FBA has approved plans for an expansion team that will call Poinciana their official home for the upcoming 2018 season.
The team, called Poinciana Pride, will play at the Mary Jane Arrington Gym and Aquatic Center, APV’s new 16,000 square foot venue.
“We are thrilled and so excited to have a professional basketball team playing here in Poinciana,” said Mark Maldonado, APV General Manager. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our residents to unite and rally behind their home team. We are looking forward to seeing what a positive impact this team has on our community.”
The team’s ownership group will include local Osceola County natives Dimas Cintron and Gregory St. Remy, both former professional basketball players with FBA’s Florida Flight (Orlando), one of the longest standing active minor league basketball teams in the country. Mark King, the Chief Executive Officer of the FBA and also owner of the Florida Flight (Orlando), will also assist with the launch.
FBA Commissioner Greg Kite, a two-time NBA Champion that spent five seasons with the Orlando Magic, heralded Poinciana as the ideal market for minor league basketball.
“Minor league basketball has always done well in communities like Poinciana,” said Kite. “There’s a lot of pride in having a pro team to call your own. Economically, bringing in other professional teams will definitely provide an additional financial boost for the small businesses. From a community standpoint, giving the kids some local professional athletes to look up to will have such a positive impact on the future of the community. We anticipate this team being well received and supported by the entire community.”
Cintron, who is a resident of the Poinciana community, is excited to bring a pro team to his hometown.
“It is a pleasure to be a part of the leadership group that is bringing a professional basketball team to my home town of Poinciana,” said Cintron. “We are going to build something that Poinciana can be proud of. This community loves the game of basketball, and we look forward to using the platform of professional basketball to make a difference in the lives of others, especially the kids.”
The team will use a mixture of scouting, recruitment and local tryouts to assemble their inaugural roster. They will begin to play in the 2018 FBA season. Opportunities to tryout for the team will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, email info@poincianapride.com, follow the team on Facebook (@PoincianaPride), or visit the FBA website at www.thefba.com.
About the Association of Poinciana Villages
The Association of Poinciana Villages, Inc. (APV) is one of the largest homeowner’s associations in the United States, serving more than 65,000 residents. The 47,000-acre, unincorporated, suburban community encompasses both Polk and Osceola counties, perfectly nestled between Haines City and Kissimmee, Florida. The Association of Poinciana Villages maintains its core vision of continuing to be one of the best places in all of central Florida to live and raise a family. Visit apvcommunity.com for more information.
About Florida Basketball Association
The FBA is a Florida-based professional basketball league providing a development, branding and exposure platform for athletes, referees and other individuals seeking to further their professional basketball career.
