Blog Archives - Hoop 'Til It Hurts Foundation

Supporting Girls Basketball One Team Jersey at A Time

Larry Goldstick — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 15:17:13 +0000

Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Foundation was built upon the belief that every child, both boys, and girls, deserve the opportunity to benefit from competing in basketball. Jade Hollyfield agrees.

Jade is the math special education teacher, the athletic director, and the 7th and 8th-grade girls’ basketball coach for the Dvorak Dolphins at Dvorak School of Excellence in Chicago. A passionate and committed youth educator, Jade has experienced first-hand the role basketball plays in positively shaping the life of an individual and of a team. So, when the Dvorak Dolphins found themselves in need of team uniforms, she reached out to Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Foundation.

Uniforms play an important role in basketball. It starts as a simple form of identity, enabling coaches, referees, and fans to differentiate between two teams. Basketball uniforms create unity for all players, fostering belonging, and camaraderie. From the star athlete to the beginner, uniforms create a sense of equality – each player is as important as the next. It is together that they develop a personal and team commitment to play hard and win. (1)

And win they did in the first season that Jade Hollyfield became a coach. Jade and the team took their winning streak that season all the way to the championship game. The second year, the exact opposite happened, as the Dolphins lost every single game and the school considered canceling the program. That is when something special happened. Previous players and girls who never played began contacting Jade saying they wanted to play, wanted to be part of the team. They rallied together to keep the Dolphins moving forward. In turn, Jade provided a space where each player was encouraged to play, “They may not have been good that day, but I told them to come back tomorrow and try again.” And they came back the next day. And the next.

While Jade focused on mentoring and coaching her team, she found her limited budget did not allow for team uniforms. The thought of playing against well-uniformed rivals created angst with the players. Jade reached out to the Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Foundation who provided the resources needed to purchase team uniforms. With the school name and mascot on the front and player number on the back, the uniforms created an identity. A sense of one. It also showed the girls that they were cared about outside their immediate circle. It encouraged a sense of value and pride and embraced how the girls feel about each other – that they are one cohesive family. Unity and Equality.

The support given by Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Foundation, Jade, and the Dvorak School of Excellence, has encouraged these girls to become the best version of themselves. Negative behaviors have dropped off and the girls are choosing to play a more positive role in the classroom and with their peers. They are becoming mentors themselves by modeling positive self-behaviors.

When the school closed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jade and new assistant coach Talana McPherson made sure that the physical separation did not affect the teams’ intent to remain as one. They set up weekly video calls through Google Hangouts to give the girls a chance to catch up, laugh, and support each other through this unique and anxious time. Now that the girls are back in school, even remotely, the coaches stay in contact with weekly emails and google meet checks to ensure their well-being both educationally and socially.

As a child, Jade spent a lot of time with her aunt who was a 4th-grade teacher. Although her aunt made teaching look fabulous, Jade thought she wanted a career in communications. Now looking back, Jade knows that being a teacher is what she was put here on earth to do. It’s her passion and the girls have benefitted from the commitment and love that Jade has for teaching and mentoring.

As the team continues to propel forward, Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Foundation will be there to support them in their journey. We have seen firsthand how the game of basketball, positive role models, and training on the court, lead to higher academic success and greater opportunities to succeed off the court in life.

ABOUT THE DVORAK SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE

Dvorak School of Excellence will fully prepare our scholars for college and the workforce by providing a safe, rigorous learning environment with high expectations for all. We will partner with our community and families to ensure that our scholars are able to exceed standards and not just meet them. As a learning community, we will work together to prepare our students to be academically competitive with their peers worldwide and each of them will feel the love and commitment of our staff. Collectively, we will use each other as resources to create an exciting learning environment for our children and foster in them a thirst for knowledge that cannot be dampened by the social ills they confront each day.
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1. http://theathleticshop.com/team-uniforms-important/

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Magnificent Mentor

Larry Goldstick — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 17:53:42 +0000

National Alliance for Youth Sports Talks to Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Founder Michael “Skeet” Horton About the Role of Basketball in Kids’ Lives

For more than three decades, Skeet Horton has been using the game of basketball to coach and mentor kids living in depressed economic communities. His focused commitment to prepare these kids for leading happy and successful lives is what led to the founding of Hoop ‘Til It Hurts.

Recently, The National Alliance for Youth Sports featured an article about Skeet on the Sporting Kid Live website, and we are excited. It’s a personal story of success by one man who lived through what he is now helping kids to overcome.

Indeed, Michael “Skeet” Horton grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago. The adults around him didn’t get up and go to work every day. Drug and alcohol abuse were present. Basketball was where Michael learned to be accountable and when he played, he gave everything. He hooped ‘til it hurt. In return, basketball gave him positive male role models and the drive to become a better version of himself.

Because of the generosity of others, the Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Foundation has been able to host several youth basketball clinics this year, pay for registration fees for kids who could not play otherwise, and donate merchandise to teams in need. Most recently, we were able to donate warm-up shirts to the Chicago Demons, a traveling basketball program for boys and girls grades 1 – 12.

We are grateful for the outpouring of support from the media, other youth basketball organizations, mentors, coaches, and individuals like you. We look forward to sharing more success stories in 2020.

To learn more or to get involved in Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Foundation, please contact me.

Thank you!

Larry Goldstick
larry@hooptilithurtsfoundation.org

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Coaching Beyond the Game

Larry Goldstick — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 21:01:09 +0000

This blog was previously published on the iSport360 blog and newsletter – https://isport360.com/when-coach-meets-father-figure-by-michael-skeet-horton/

Having lost my own father at a young age, I understand firsthand the importance of mentoring, coaching and leadership from the adults in my life.

Like other team sports, basketball is a collaborative game that requires players to work together to achieve a specific end goal – in this case, winning the game. It takes commitment, discipline, and communication. Participation in sports is an opportunity for youth to build character and establish relationships. The importance of such traits could not be achieved without the in-depth involvement of the coach.

The role of a coach does not end when the game is over. It sometimes requires a responsibility to take on a father-like presence that positively impacts and shapes the lives of players. To be effective in that role it is imperative that a coach be a great listener and show personal interest in other aspects of the players’ lives. Yes, the common interest in the game, but a coach that embraces the father-figure distinction is prepared to have conversations about topics that do not involve sports. This leadership role embraces the player with the same vigor as a biological parent. There are times when tough love is required and there are times when hugs are necessary. With these relationships there has to be accountability and responsibility; and although the sport is intended to be fun, the responsibility of a coach goes far beyond winning a game. It is the shaping and mentoring of the youth placed in your care.

As I reflect on my role as a father-figure, I am reminded of a former player that is now a parent himself. He affectionately refers to me at “Pops”. The young man grew up without a father in the home. He had a relationship with his biological father, but the relationship was toxic. Even in the midst of tension, his father respected my relationship with his child and was happy I could provide the resources and support his son needed to be successful. While this particular father and son had a broken relationship, there were other players in which the father was actively involved and encouraging of his child. Even as a loving parent, these fathers recognized the additional role I could play in teaching their sons and were supportive of the relationship I shared with his child.

Much like a father, as a coach, I was nurturing but firm. I demanded that they do their best, without making excuses. I checked on their progress at school, and depending on the circumstance, I would discipline or praise. One young man I mentored began trusting me; sharing secrets, requesting advice about his relationships, discussing school, and even talking through minor disputes with his parents. I had the responsibility to coach him on how to communicate with his parents without being disrespectful. I provided guidance that would help him to make positive choices that would impact his future.

Today, that player has a son of his own. He is actively involved and through his own personal commitment, has developed a close and trusting relationship with his child. I would like to think that the examples and lessons I provided him early on have made him a better dad. Prior to being a part of my team, there was no expectation of higher education in his future. He struggled in school because he wasn’t being held accountable or encouraged to work hard in the classroom. We were a travel team yet there were times that I would hold him out of games because of academic shortcomings. The team was not part of the school, yet I knew that to gain his attention, I needed to gently discipline when his actions fell short outside of the court. After years of support and a change in mentality, I am proud to share that he graduated from college in four years with a degree in Business.

On Father’s Day, I am reminded of the impact I have made as a youth basketball coach – the lives I’ve touched. I receive several emails, calls and text messages from former players and parents to express their gratitude for supporting their child on and off the court. Some of the messages applaud me for being a positive example of how to raise a child. Others were from former players that grew up in loving family environments, but still saw the results of my efforts in their lives.

There is one text that sticks in my mind. A former player, now a successful adult, texted to wish me Happy Father’s Day. A moment later he texts again telling me “I forgot you have your own biological child. I was thinking of myself when I said Happy Father’s Day dad.” Yes, I do have my own child, but I consider all of my players to be members of my family.

Michael “Skeet” Horton

Michael is the founder of Hoop ‘Til It Hurts! and the Hoop ‘Til It Hurts Foundation. He is a father, coach, teacher, innovator, and mentor who for over 30 years has used sport and community to change lives. Learn more about the foundation at www.HoopTilIthurtsFoundation.org.

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Youth Basketball: Life Lessons on And Off the Court

Larry Goldstick — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 15:14:07 +0000

It has been said that sports are a microcosm of life. Indeed, the qualities and characteristics required in the game of basketball often mimic the social expectations of the larger community around us. But in economically depressed areas where unemployment, substance abuse, peer pressure, and absent parenting are prevalent, basketball plays the larger role, building a foundation the enables players to succeed off the court.

A Game for Everyone

Playing basketball evens the playing field for boys and girls. On the court, it does not matter where you come from, your ethnicity, economic or family situations. What matters is having the drive to play hard and a willingness to learn critical skills for success. Basketball requires discipline and commitment. It is a structured form of ‘brotherhood’ where boys and girls learn the importance of teamwork and collaboration; learning to win and learning to lose. It’s respecting the coaches, the parents, the players, and yes, even the opposition. Basketball nurtures character traits that build strength which can be applied in everyday situations from completing school homework to applying for a job, to becoming a confident adult that envisions and pursues dreams.

Enter Hoops ‘Til it Hurts, a non-profit foundation that was born of the desire to invest in kids who have the drive to play hard and to provide the resources they need on and off the court. Based in Chicago, Illinois, Hoops ‘Till It Hurts helps alleviate financial burdens by providing athletic apparel and grants to pay for costs associated with tournaments, registration, league fees, travels expenses, and gear. Off the court, Hoops assists youth in having difficulty in school by providing tutors and mentors.

Meet Skeet Horton

Skeet Horton started as one of those young kids. Growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago, Skeet lost his father to violence at a young age. Basketball was where Skeet learned to be accountable and when he played, he gave everything. He hooped ‘til it hurt. In return, basketball gave him positive male role models and the drive to become a better version of himself. Skeet’s first-hand experience with basketball and the impact it made in his life, drove him to found Hoop ‘Till It Hurts. Today, Skeet is actively involved in the foundation, encouraging boys and girls to take a chance on themselves and to trust others.

Basketball is more than dribbling, running, and shooting. It is a mental, emotional, and physical journey that requires adopting certain traits and behaviors to be successful. It builds camaraderie, family, and relationships that last long-term. Basketball is a place where kids can be kids – running, laughing, and playing. And when you see the positive transformation of a young person, well, that’s the best 3-point score one can hope to see.

For more information on Hoops ‘Till It Hurts or to get involved, visit: https://hooptilithurtsfoundation.org/

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