Crossover Mission scored big last week with its March Madness-themed event. Student athletes enrolled in the nonprofit’s year-round youth basketball and academic mentoring program raised awareness and funds by demonstrating their hoop shooting skills at the McDonald’s at U.S. 1 and 53rd Ave.
Other students in the Crossover Mission program participated in bucket drops at three additional area McDonald’s, made possible by new board member and McDonald’s owner Jeremy Odom.
“We’re out here to raise money for the competitive travel basketball teams,” said Cathy De Schouwer, Crossover Mission co-founder and executive director. “We’re trying to raise $10,000 [to cover team travel costs], but part of it is to get the kids to put effort in instead of giving them everything, so they learn to appreciate it.”
“It’s important that they learn how to give back,” agreed Antoine Jennings, co-founder and COO, adding that the fundraiser allowed the athletes to bond as a team off the court and learn how they can contribute.
“Sometimes the kids think everything is free. It’s important for them to learn what it takes to run the program. We want to teach them the importance of giving back, sacrificing and doing the hard thing even when they don’t want to do it,” added Jennings.
By explaining the Crossover Mission approach to passersby, Jennings said the student-athletes gain a better understanding of how the program is helping them academically.
“It is more than just basketball,” said Jennings.
Participation in travel team athletics is cost-prohibitive for most of their students, said De Schouwer, noting that March Madness gave them an opportunity to work toward their goal.
The team travel program was so successful pre-pandemic that De Schouwer said they will have a second AAU travel team this year with players on ninth- and 12th-grade teams.
“The best players are selected, and most of the other teams have players that have been together a lot longer than we have,” said Jennings, commenting on the competitiveness of travel basketball. “With 70 kids, everybody is not getting playing time. They’re practicing but not getting game experience.”
In addition to obtaining game experience and exposure, the participants learn the importance of punctuality, budgeting their money, sticking to a schedule, and taking care of their equipment (read washing their stinky uniforms).
Some of the participants have never left Indian River County or been away from their parents, said Jennings, adding: “Being away for the entire weekend and allowing them the opportunity to get homesick gives them an idea of what it will be like when they go away to college.”
For more information, visit crossovermission.com.
Photos by Kaila Jones
