In order to counter the rising occurrence of crime and other youth problems in Glenarden (Maryland), the Director of the municipal government, G. Van Standifer, decided to establish the "Midnight Basketball League" (MBL) in 1986. The idea was to offer young people an alternative during the particularly problematic late-night hours as way of preventing them from hanging around and getting in to trouble. The initiator of the project was supported by business, the police, politicians and local authorities. According to figures released by the MBL, the level of crime in Glenarden was reduced by 60 percent.

The MBL idea has spread and there are now active MBL clubs in more than 50 American cities, as well as in Puerto Rico. Tournaments are planned and organized by regional offices in which their strengths are pitted against each other. The MBL says that the games attract around 200,000 spectators every night across the country and more than 3,5 million watch on TV.

The individual clubs select players aged between 17 and 25 from the traditional basketball games that take place in every city. They are then taken under the wing of the local MBL clubs for between three and four years. Most of the MBL players are Afro-Americans, meaning that they tend to come from the largest communities making up the poorest American city districts.

"All young men can join the league if they want to“, explains Tony Adams, a MBL official Columbus (Georgia). "There is no racial or ethnic discrimination in our selection process." We do, however, expect the players to take part in an hour-long discussion before every game. These discussions cover a number of issues including how to conduct an interview with an employer, how to manage money, how to resolve disputes, self-initiative, protection against Aids and HIV infection, as well as alcohol and drugs. The clubs officials encourage the players to get a job.