Nonprofit uses basketball camp to engage students in lessons about mental health
The HOPE Initiative team joined the National Basketball Retired Players Association Dallas Chapter to help coach students on mental health skills they'll need for life.
By JULIE PARR
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ATLANTA, Texas (KTBS) — Students gathered at a basketball camp in Atlanta on Thursday to learn more than just how to shoot and score.
The HOPE Initiative team joined the National Basketball Retired Players Association Dallas Chapter to help coach students on mental health skills they’ll need for life. The veteran NBA players hope to use their platforms to equip students with life and social skills, such as leadership, teamwork, and mental toughness.
A large group of students from Atlanta ISD “ACE Summer Academy” met in the gym to not only receive some basketball training, but learn about important mental health skills. Special guests included former NBA players Willie Davis and Morlon Wiley.
The students have been meeting with the HOPE Initiative team for the last two days to go over mental health awareness and resources. Organizers hope the students will not only remember the fun they’ve experienced this week, but they’ll also remember their words of encouragement.
“We just really want the kids to be empowered to know who they are and what they are capable of becoming as they continue to grow,” said Davis.
“Since COVID, there’s been a lot of mental stresses that no one was really equipped to handle. I hope that when they leave here, they know there’s always somebody they can reach out to if they’re struggling,” said Shelly Waldon, Atlanta ISD ACE project director.
The focus of HOPE Initiative is to help students with character development, student behavior, academic confidence and community engagement.
The National Basketball Retired Players Association’s Dallas Chapter has about 20 basketball camps it’s visiting this summer.
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