[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 137 (Tuesday, August 20, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING FLOYD ``SKIP'' BRANCH, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 20, 2019

  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in great sadness to share 
the passing of Floyd ``Skip'' Branch, Jr. and honor his life and 
legacy.
  For generations of children, Skip, as he was known to the community, 
was a fixture of their daily lives.
  In 1995, Skip founded the NYC Bombsquad Basketball Classic, where he 
worked each summer with nearly 300 young boys and girls. But his impact 
was not merely honing basketball skills, although he certainly did. On 
the court and off the court, his lessons transcended basketball and 
made better the lives he touched and the community he loved.
  Skip displayed an unyielding love for his community and inimitable 
belief that basketball was a constructive tool for the development and 
enrichment of children and adolescents. Responsibility. Teamwork. 
Academic achievement. Community engagement. Fraternity. Sorority. These 
are the tenets that Skip inculcated in every one of his students and 
will remain a part of his indelible legacy.
  His program grew and had such an impact on young people's lives that 
many of them returned to teach and coach new participants. Skip 
believed that basketball and the fundamental lessons he taught should 
not only be shared with his students at Rice High School, Cardinal 
Hayes, or Hostos Community College. He also used the playground at East 
100th Street and Third Avenue as a haven for youth in East Harlem where 
he instilled the fundamentals of teamwork, sportsmanship and respect in 
his students. Anyone who knew Skip knows he loved every moment spent 
doing this important work.
  Floyd ``Skip'' Branch, Jr. was a beloved husband, brother, father, 
and grandfather. To his wife Carole, son Floyd III, brother Dr. Kent 
Branch, and all those close to Skip, I share my sincerest condolences 
in this time of grief and hope they find solace in knowing his legacy 
lives on in the many young lives he impacted.

                          ____________________