Basketball Clinic Connects Lafayette College Team and Chester Youth
By Larry Pear, Lafayette College Student and Youth Development United 2023 Extern
On Saturday, March 24, myself alongside the women’s Division 1 basketball team and men’s club basketball team of Lafayette College hosted an event to foster a fun, safe environment for kids aged 6-14 to exercise and enjoy themselves through basketball. Around 30 children showed up to the event and participated in drills, games and post-game pizza and fruit. In addition, each attendee was able to receive a basketball and box of food to bring home.
Events like these are critical in providing children from disadvantaged communities the opportunity to learn, grow and run around with college athletes who can help instill knowledge, communication skills and the importance of teamwork necessary to compete at the highest level on the court and in the classroom. But most importantly, these events create the infrastructure for children who have been systematically denied access to safe environments to freely exercise and express themselves through basketball.
To make this event possible required the coordination and generosity of many local individuals and organizations. The Boys and Girls Club of Chester let us borrow their gym, and their athletic director, Mr. Craig Haywood and program director Angie Johnson were especially hospitable and supportive. Leveling the Playing Field, an organization dedicated to improving access to youth sports, helped provide basketballs for all. Main Street Elementary educator and Chester Upland Youth Soccer Site Director Ms. Yolanda Jackson helped ensure each child had a basketball, pizza, fruit and a food box to take home.
This event would also not be possible without the many generous donations from those within and outside the Lafayette community. I would also like to personally thank members of the Lafayette women’s basketball team and men’s club basketball team: Emma Shields, Kay Donahue, Sauda Ntaconayigize, Ben Fisher, Isaac Reynolds, Keith Konigsberg and Evan Vu. Their basketball expertise, patience, and commitment to social change were critical to the event’s success. Emma, Kay and Sauda, as accomplished Division 1 basketball players, were instrumental in providing high-level coaching and guidance to the children.
Lastly, I would like to thank Jeannine Anckaitis, the leader of Youth Development United and Chester Upland Youth Soccer, for her tutelage as I worked on this project and for all her help organizing the event.
As I look forward to hosting and participating in future events that enable creative expression and fun through athletics, I am ecstatic with how this event turned out. This event brought me back to when I was a young child, able to run around openly; my emotions roller coastered as I chased the basketball to hit the game winning three and send the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA title in my mind.
Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts on the importance of athletic events in marginalized communities. I hope to host more events like these soon!
Larry Pear is a junior at Lafayette College who is majoring in Government & Law while working as the manager of the men’s basketball team. He is a Philadelphia native who has always loved sports but hasn’t always had a safe place to play. Read more about Larry’s experiences and his motivation for doing what he can for youth in under-served neighborhoods. Larry skillfully raised over $1,000 to run the March 2023 event for Chester children. Donations are still being gratefully accepted for future events that Larry and other like-minded people will coordinate.