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Former NBA Player Transforms Youth wth HOOPS Life Program
Every school day across America, children look to overcome life challenges at home and school. Sometimes a child wishes to gain confidence and easily communicate. Other times, it is a child with emotional challenges, who a resource officer forcibly removes from a classroom.
You’ve most likely experienced youth needing support at restaurants, malls, churches, neighbor’s birthday party or any place where people gather.
How can Mom, Dad and the community help, without adding stress and challenges that children already face?
Imagine a youth program, founded by a former NBA player, that provides those types of results… 100% of the time.
Pat Burke, a retired NBA and European league player, has been generating positive results with his youth program, HOOPS Life.
HOOPS Life is self-enrichment – achieved through a curriculum based program. Pat’s life experience led to establishing the HOOPS training facility and the launch of the program. Burke recognized a need for assisting and supporting youth early in his own life. As a 6’7″ high school sophomore, he transferred into a new high school.
As he grew taller, conversations became uncomfortable when people focused on his ability to put a ball through a hoop.
“I’m not a basketball player.”
His new classmates and the school faculty never realized that Pat had played 8 years of ice hockey. He never touched a basketball until sophomore year. He almost quit playing basketball before he transferred into the new high school. Burke and his family had moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Cape Coral, Florida when he was 16 years old.
Pat met Coach Marty Waters, the basketball coach at Mariner High School. Coach Waters mentored Pat through “thought provoking questions, life talks, encouragement and goal setting.” Quickly, Pat’s grades improved and his basketball skills strengthened. Pat grew to 6’11” his senior year. He earned a basketball scholarship from Auburn University. After college, a 12 year professional career included stops with the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns and 6 championships in European leagues. After retirement, Pat returned to his home in Mount Dora, FL. Quickly his backyard became a popular destination for local youth who wanted to learn from a pro.
“Early on, I became aware of how my approach was not achieving a high level of change. My desire to impact others, the way my coach did, had me educate myself through continual research and partnership with a professional business coach and life coach. Conversations on creating HOOPS Life began,” says Burke.
HOOPS Life threads the gap between sports and life. The children enrolled and parents see measurable results and transformation in behavior, emotional management, grades, leadership, confidence, conflict resolution, communication and responsibility. Families experience a child making the honor roll for the first time, a child with behavior challenges managing their choices, or a youth gaining confidence and self – esteem.
Plus – basketball skills improve!
The HOOPS Life programs are made up of three 12-week courses. Each course is curriculum based and provides a classroom component and on court team building. There are three 12-week programs in the organization – miFundamentals, miEssentials, miTeam.
