Place To Play Foundation

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About Place To Play Foundation

Opening doors for every child to experience the joy of sports & the creative arts.

Our Mission Matters

The Place To Play Foundation ensures that every child in Long Beach has a safe space to play, create, and compete. We are dedicated to breaking down barriers to participation, believing that access to sports and the arts is a right, not a privilege, for every background and circumstance.

Our mission is to foster physical health, mental well-being, and social development in youth by providing equitable access to athletic facilities and creative arts programs. Through strategic partnerships with schools and local businesses, we eliminate socioeconomic barriers to ensure every child can experience the transformative power of organized events.

Our Board Members

Gregory Smith

Founder/Executive Director

Learn about Gregory

Demetra Person

Co-Founder/Board Member

Learn about Demetra

Shannon Crotts

Board Member

Learn about Shannon

Michele Pourtemour

Board Member

Learn about Michele

Laneshia Stamm

Board Member

Learn about Laneshia

Sean Holt

Board Member

Learn about Sean
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Gregory C. Smith

For Gregory C. Smith, creating a safe place to play is more than a mission—it’s personal. Born and raised in South Los Angeles, he grew up surrounded by the realities of gang culture and violence. While many of his peers were pulled into those circumstances, Gregory found direction and purpose through two powerful influences: his love for sports and the steady guidance of his father, a respected local pastor. Witnessing his father lay friends to rest almost every other Saturday gave Gregory a profound understanding of the real stakes facing young people in at-risk communities.

Today, Gregory turns his life experiences into action through the Place to Play Foundation, a Long Beach–based nonprofit focused on youth development and sports equity. As the Founder and CEO of both the Foundation and BBallers Hoops LLC, he works to make sure every child has access to quality training, regardless of financial circumstances.

By operating as the charitable arm of his basketball academy, the Foundation provides scholarships, mentorship, and character-building programs to youth in need. Gregory’s work is driven by a simple belief: every child deserves the chance to succeed in a positive, supportive environment.

Demetra Pearson

Demetra Pearson, the COO of BBallers Hoops, is responsible for programming, registrations, invoicing, and all administrative duties, while also serving as league commissioner. She brings extensive experience in education and sports, with seven years as an elementary school teacher, a year as a middle school PE teacher, and two years as a preschool sports coach. Demetra is also a NASM certified Senior Fitness Specialist and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, holding a BS degree in Physical Education from California State University, Long Beach.

Her leadership and organizational skills were honed over many years as a pivotal Management Team Member for The California Relays, where she was instrumental in coordinating large-scale events and managing diverse teams. Demetra’s strong commitment to youth development is evident through a decade of dedicated service within her church community and as a respected Girl Scout Leader, where she mentored young individuals, fostered their growth, and instilled valuable life skills. Demetra is now bringing her expertise and knowledge to Place To Play Foundation.

Shannon Crotts

Shannon Crotts, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and full-time lecturer at California State University, Long Beach. She earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and her Master of Social Work from CSULB, where she developed a lifelong commitment to equity, inclusion, and community well-being.

Shannon has extensive experience working with adults and adolescents facing depression, anxiety, trauma, and major life transitions. She has served in both medical and community mental health settings, helping individuals living with chronic mental illness and supporting those recovering from psychiatric hospitalization. Her approach is client-centered and solution-focused, grounded in empathy and the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to thrive.

As a parent of an 11-year-old son who loves basketball, Shannon understands firsthand the power of play, connection, and safe spaces for children to grow. She is honored to serve on the board of Place to Play Foundation, where she can combine her passion for mental wellness and community building to help foster joyful, healthy experiences for all children.

Michele Pourtemour

Michele Pourtemour is a lifelong athlete, dedicated coach, and passionate community leader. After running a family business for over 20 years and raising six children with her husband Ramon, Michele found her true calling in mentoring youth through sports—creating the safe, supportive spaces she once wished she had growing up. A proud past resident of Long Beach for more than a decade, the city will always feel like home. Today, Michele brings her leadership, discipline, and compassion to real estate, helping families make smart moves while giving back to the community she loves. As Vice President of the Women’s Club of Cypress, she remains deeply involved in philanthropy, championing causes that uplift women, children, and local families. Now, as a board member for Place to Play, Michele continues to fuel her passion for creating safe, inspiring spaces where kids can grow, play, and thrive.

Laneshia Stamm

Based in Long Beach, California, Laneshia Stamm is a dedicated professional committed to helping organizations operate with greater efficiency and purpose. With a strong passion for community and a natural talent for organization, she delivers the strategic support businesses need to stay focused on their core missions.

Laneshia brings expertise in streamlining operational workflows, optimizing administrative systems, and enhancing internal processes. Her collaborative mindset and keen attention to detail make her an invaluable asset to any team aiming to build a stronger foundation and drive meaningful results.

Sean Holt

Sean Holt is an American musician, producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally from Louisiana, Holt’s early musical influences were a unique collection of blues, gospel, soul and jazz from that region. Upon completion of a master’s degree in music from USC Thornton in 1991, he began his professional career in Los Angeles working with artists including Carlos Santana, Slash, John Legend, Bette Midler, Kenny Loggins, Mary J. Blige, Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval, and numerous others.

He has enjoyed an extremely diverse and multi-faceted role in the international music scene. Holt is an accomplished, creative business owner with years of experience in music production and supervision. He has composed/produced Emmy, Clio, and Golden Pencil Award-winning music for hundreds of clients including Apple, Nike, Nissan, Oracle, HP, BMW, Porsche, MTV and Lexus. As executive producer of LightningHolt Music, he supervises the creation of an exclusive library for network television. Additionally, Holt has worked extensively in live television as music director on The Next, associate music director on Lopez Tonight with George Lopez and The Arsenio Hall Show and as a featured vocalist on Dancing with the Stars.

Holt is currently Vice Dean of the Division of Contemporary Music at the USC Thornton School of Music.  As Associate Professor in the Popular Music and Music Production programs, Holt offers instruction in popular ensemble performance, songwriting, music production and graduate-level courses in the Music Teaching and Learning.  Sean also enjoys guest lecturing engagements abroad, developing programmatic opportunities for his students in cities including Helsinki, Paris and Stockholm.