Coaching Corps’ signature Take Your Team to College Day event gives the youth we serve a peek at higher education possibilities, allowing them to visualize themselves walking similar paths as the coaches who mentor them all season long. Coaches help their young players see the importance of living their lives as motivated individuals who care about their health, education and future. Beyond coaching, our coaches are committed to motivating the players to see the potential that lies within to build healthy and successful futures.
On Sunday, April 21st, the Coaching Corps chapter at the University of California – Berkeley hosted their 2nd “Take Your Team to College” Day on campus. 23 young athletes from Bears Youth Basketball and the East Bay Soldiers participated in relay races, campus tours, lunch, a scavenger hunt and a question and answer session with Cal athletes.
The day not only included visiting the academic and athletic landmarks of the beautiful Cal campus, but also a tour of the University of California – Museum of Paleontology. Following the tour, a panel of Cal athletes answered questions from the youth that ranged from asking about the difficulty of getting accepted into Cal to questions about college life. One student athlete asked who amongst the kids was planning on going to college and every kid raised their hand.
Christopher, an 8th grader from East Bay Soldiers basketball, said, “I want to go to college because I feel like I could go farther in life and get more things achieved as a result.”
Kids like Christopher are often times told about higher education but events like Take Your Team to College Day allow them to see firsthand how the results of their work at school and on the field can pay off.
Shawn Granberry, Director of Bears Youth Basketball and Coaching Corps Oakland Community Chapter Founder said, “The kids had a great time and really enjoyed meeting all the college athletes and Cal students. This is what Bears Youth Basketball is all about and we really enjoyed our time with Coaching Corps.”
