The Basketball Embassy's Youth Ambassador Program offers disadvantaged students unique opportunity to develop on, off-court skills

by Zach Mason, Director of Communications

When schools dismiss their students each day, many kids attend after-school care. The late-afternoon, early-evening hours are instrumental in not only keeping children safe and out of trouble, but in continuing their education after the final school bell rings.

Unfortunately, this ideal scenario is not an option for kids whose parents can't afford it. Students from low-income backgrounds in underserved neighborhoods are effectively stranded for hours at a time until a relative or friend can take them home.

That’s where The Basketball Embassy’s Youth Ambassador Program (YAP) comes in.

“Our Youth Ambassador Program aims to impact disadvantaged youth by using the game of basketball as common ground where we can interact with each other, express ourselves, and learn from one another,” said TBE’s YAP Director Eric Bitoni. “We not only develop skills for the basketball court, but teach some of the valuable character-building intangibles off the court, such as respect, compassion and honesty. These are the types of ⁠soft skills that will enhance their daily interactions with classmates, authority figures and members of our community.”

TBE partners with SA Youth, Haven For Hope and SAMMinistries to implement YAP in various schools and shelters around the city, particularly in low-income neighborhoods where parents often struggle to make ends meet. For many parents, TBE’s program affords kids the same opportunity to develop vital athletic skills that some wealthier parents can provide for their children through expensive basketball programs.

“The parents are surprised that we can provide this opportunity,” Darrel Tarvo, SA Youth’s site coordinator for Hutchins Elementary said. “The surprise is that there is this chance for their children to play basketball without them having to pay to do it. All of those other camps are about money. These are working parents. They’re very, very appreciative. They say, ‘No one has ever given us this opportunity before.’”

While increasing the students’ basketball knowledge is a key priority, character building takes precedent in TBE’s programming. The curriculum emphasizes soft-skill development the kids can use to help them succeed in life off the court.

“(The program) allowed our kids to gain confidence,” Allyce Roman, SA Youth’s Out-of-School Time program director, said, “and that’s something that’s really hard for them, especially in the areas they grow up in and the certain issues they’ve faced in their lives. With The Basketball Embassy, it’s taking something that’s relatable to them and teaching them lessons they can take with them in life.”

That relatability also allows kids to better connect with the coaches, something Ramon said is difficult to do for some children who struggle to build relationships with adults outside of their immediate family. Establishing those relationships helps the kids become more trusting of others, which, in TBE’s case, makes the task of getting the kids to receive, understand and implement instruction significantly easier. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the medium through which TBE teaches is a game the students seem to universally enjoy.

“The reactions on the children’s faces when Eric (Bitoni) walks in says it all,” Misty Hernandez, SA Youth’s site coordinator for Madla Elementary said. “Even before he gets there, they’re walking in, like, ‘Is today The Basketball Embassy day?’ That just speaks volumes. Playing basketball is one of their favorite things to do anyway, but they’re much more willing to make sure they’re there on that day.”

Elementary and middle schools that are a part of YAP receive one visit per week from TBE at the same time and day, offering the students a measure of consistency and SA Youth, SAMMinistries, and Haven For Hope a reliable vendor to provide quality programming for their kids.

“The site coordinators are really appreciative of TBE coming to make it a point to visit each and every site,” Ramon said. “Sometimes it’s hard, and that’s something our other vendors don’t do. They’ve made it a point to include all of the sites and give each site that attention. That’s really been instrumental with the kids in developing that bond and relationship with them. The site coordinators, the kids that have been in TBE, they’ve seen improvement in their overall behavior and demeanor and how they carry themselves. It’s very obvious, the benefit TBE has had on our kids.”

With additional funding for staff and equipment, TBE hopes to impact more local youth by increasing the scope and availability of the Youth Ambassadors Program. For more information about YAP, visit the TBE website or send an email to TBE founding president, Chris Dial, at cdial@thebasketballembassy.org.