Long time H4H Champion and supporter Jason Baseden, Athletic Director from The International School of Brussels, has been busy planning his next adventure to Cape Town! As preparation for he and his basketball team’s journey in early April, where they will of course be visiting and volunteering with the Hoops 4 Hope programs, he and his team are hosting a Hoops 4 Hope basketball weekend on February 3rd and 4th with the American School in London and the American School in Paris. Nike has donated 40 shirts to sell for a fundraiser and Jason’s kids are operating a fundraiser by keeping their game statistics as a means to generate funds! His student athletes, both varsity and junior varsity teams, are receiving pledges based upon their offensive charges, steals, rebounds, blockshots, and points made. We look forward to hearing about their successful efforts. Thanks, Jason and Team!
Archive for the ‘Guest / Celebrity Posts’ Category
H4H Represents in Belgium!
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Thabo Invited to NCAA March Madness!
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
H4H’s very own All Star Thabo Maratola was invited this month by the US Embassy to participate in the US State Department’s organized sports program for South African basketball coaches! The program will take place from March 8th-18th during the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. This program will include discussions and workshops on training, nutrition, fitness, life skills, conflict resolution, and disability sports. It aims to provide the coaches with exposure to some of our country’s unique perspectives on sports. Thabo will also be able toexplore some of the U.S. and visit with counterpart in the basketball world. Congrats, Thabo! We look forward to welcoming you to the U.S.!
Champion of the Year: YONI!
Saturday, December 24th, 2011
Yoni is back in Africa again, starting this time in Cape Town, then to Zimbabwe and now in Uganda. Yoni does it all in the H4H family!
Yoni (Middle) and H4H Coaches in Zim!
From nowhere I asked my son Watida what he thought about Yoni’s visit. His answer was short, ‘he is a great friend but a bad barber.’ The story is Yoni decided to be Watida’s barber for once and the resulting cut was a disaster for Watida who spent the rest of his afternoon in a cap.
Kita Serves as Key Panelist at Summit
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
On Thursday December 8th, H4H South African Country Director Thierry Kita participated as a panelist at one of the Beyond Sport Summit’s breakout discussions on Crime Reduction at Cape Town’s International Convention Center. Together with Adam Hall ( Cricket For Change UK), Sarah Martinez Helfam (Philadelphia Eagles US) Tim Tucker (Hope Academy RSA) and San Reddy (Managing Director Marcusbrewer RSA), panelists discussed unique approaches and insights to tackling crime within their organizations.
Kita was able to relay how H4H programs provide safe spaces, educational learning, and health education and services that better participant educaiton as a whole. Further, he communicated that H4H efforts can be positively linked to the decrease in criminal behavior within each of our communities!
Zim Does Best of the Best!
Saturday, November 26th, 2011
Then one afternoon a lady called on behalf of Bon Marche, a local and leading Supermarket, and said they were keen on helping out a few schools with food, water, fruits, caps and tees. This was clearly the best news of the month judging by the excitement that generated in the office. Bon Marche helped us to break new ground and in the following days a company called Well Pure gave us water for all 500 participants and officials. Then the marketing team brought in more tee shirts, pens and rulers.
From that time on the tournament was set. To build hype we involved our local media. 
They really find Hoops 4 Hope programs worthwhile. A couple of articles came out in the local papers and our TV previewed the games.
Yoni Marmostein from Hoops 4 Hope Canada and Lala Ketelo’s (S. Africa) visit to Hoops 4 Hope Zimbabwe was timely. We built our cause around H4H, the kids, and the two of them. On the day of the tourney 26 Schools supported us by coming. We used two venues: Queen Elizabeth School ( named after the Queen of England) and Girls High School and the two venues provided a total of 4 courts. 480 kids took part under the close watch of more than 90 Volunteers that included H4H All Stars. It was a great tournament that ran on time and was extensively covered by our local media. Our important stake holders came and witnessed the event. The kids had so much fun! Almost every kid took something home no matter how small it might have been. Some kids won games. Some won lessons. Some kids may have won both games and lessons, well and good. Importantly, all won by merely participating!
November the 25th’s proceedings justified our decision to go on with the tournament. It was one of those events that reminded our All Stars of the importance of their contribution to society. H4H Harare finished the day a winner too! We were all revived and re- energized . Mark(Crandall) was overjoyed at the sight of us here in Harare, learning how to take our first baby step towards sustainability.
