Notes from the Road: Hoopin' it up...

Last Saturday, I was invited to come to a basketball tournament at Bruce Randolph Middle School with one of the Colorado HAWKS teams playing in it. I brought my two boys to the game and they have never been so quiet! They were in awe of the very tall 12 and 13 year olds playing some great basketball. I'm 6'2' and felt small too. However, if that is what it takes to get the Wolff brothers to take a break from the seemingly continual conversation we have, I'll bring them back every weekend to watch a game.

Greg Willis is the ED of the program and was also coaching the team. I met many of the kids on the team and came away impressed with their confidence, maturity, and politeness (as well as how talented they are). The sense of community was strong in the gym with a constant buzz of conversation between the kids, coaches, and parents. It was just a great example of how athletics at a local level can help build community and build lives.

The mission of the Colorado Hawks is to create an opportunity and an alternative to gangs for at-risk, disadvantaged youth. They provide a year-round, culturally diverse, educational and basketball program for 200 boys and girls aged 10-17 years. The program draws to it youth who need assistance academically and socially to achieve self-sufficiency and productive lives. The ninth and tenth graders practice and compete April through August, and then play on their high school team September through March. The fifth through eighth graders play year-round. In 2002, over 80% of the kids in the program received college scholarships. Westword named it the best nonprofit athletic progam in Denver in 2004 and HAWKS won the El Pomar Foundation Award for Excellence in 2005! Check out their website at www.coloradohawks.org or give Greg a call at (303) 393-4475 to see how you can help.

- Jesse