MC Chap Basketball Spends Afternoon at Boys and Girls Club

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By Forrest Allen
Midland College Athletic Director

After 90 minutes of work with the children of the Boys and Girls Club of Midland, the Midland College Chaparral basketball team showed their hearts and a sense of community. The only thing that remained unclear is who got the most enjoyment out of the day's activities.

This project was the inspiration of Katie Singleton of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Inc. of Midland. Singleton initially contacted the Chaps with the idea of a fun afternoon for the kids who regularly attend the Boys and Girls Club each afternoon following the conclusion of their school day. The final product was a combination of basketball skill instruction, and exhibition of athleticism and command of the finer points of the game as well as a healthy dose of fun.

Midland College head coach Chris Craig, assistant Jeff Mailhot and the entire 16-man roster traveled to the Boys and Girls Club following their afternoon practice. The team arrived, as scheduled, at 5:30 p.m. to see 40 highly charged and enthusiastic campers. The activities ended at approximately 6:50 p.m. and in-between the Chaparrals performed a few basketball drills, gave instructional tips to the kids and finished up with a thrilling slam dunk contest and autograph session.

As the team left the Boys Club one unidentified camp participant could be overheard saying to the Chaps, "Thank you so much for coming to play with us!"