“Night Hoops – Full Circle”

After completing university and travelling overseas I was desperately trying to find a job that would allow me the opportunity to work with ‘at risk’ youth in a community setting.  I was living in Victoria but jobs were few and far between.  I longed to return to Vancouver as I lived there during my degree at SFU.

I applied for this job as a basketball coach for an organization called Night Hoops.  My sport has always been volleyball - I had played at a high level and coached youth for many years.  I really had to sell myself to the hiring committee (Misty Thomas and Rich Cohee) as being able to cross over and coach a different sport – a sport that I hadn’t played since Jr. High School.  I did it, and got hired as part of the second session of the Night Hoops program.

At that time, we were paid a stipend through HRDC and given training to become a coach and work in community settings.  We also had to volunteer in a Community Centre for a certain number of hours each week.  My placement was at Hastings Community Centre where I was given lots of autonomy to work in different programs and to help tutor students at Templeton Secondary School.

At Hastings my junior basketball team was a motley group of teens– some were physically talented, some were new to Canada, and some were on probation but all of them loved basketball more than anything.  For most of them it was probably the first and only time they got to play on a basketball team – wearing a jersey, having a water bottle, playing a game with referees made it all worth while for them.  Not unlike other teams, there were ups and downs and although I don’t think we came close to winning a game, the kids kept showing up because it was fun and something they loved to do. It gave them pride to have somewhere to go, to do something meaningful and there was a coach who showed an interest in them as individuals.  Although I’ve lost track of them now, the last I heard most of the players were doing reasonably well after their stint with Night Hoops.

After finishing the Night Hoops program I was hired immediately at Hastings Community Centre and Franklin Community School to run girls groups and quickly became a summer Playground Leader.  From there I was hired part time at the Roundhouse C.C. to start some youth activities a couple of days a week.  During my time at Roundhouse I supervised the Night Hoops program on Friday and Saturday nights and referred kids to the program.  Within a year I got a new job and became the Hastings / Sunrise Youth Services Coordinator working with community centres, neighbourhood houses and high schools in East Vancouver.  During the 5 years at this job I continued to promote and refer students and coaches to become involved in Night Hoops.  Now in my current position as the King George Community Schools Coordinator with the Vancouver School Board, I find myself once again involved with Night Hoops from a different angle – at the Board of Directors level.  Currently I am a liaison between Community Schools Coordinators across Vancouver and the Night Hoops Board of Directors. 

Looking back it’s been over 10 years since I joined the Night Hoops program and it’s as though I’ve come full circle.  For me Night Hoops was the spring board or entry point for my career working in communities with youth.  Night Hoops provided me with training, opportunities and contacts in the community to have a positive impact on youth and to further my own professional development.  I’ve met some amazing youth, service providers and community members along the way.  What I have learned from them and from Night Hoops, is that it’s not really about the basketball or other special activity – those things are the ‘hooks’ or the ‘vehicles’ through which young people learn.  But rather, it’s about the relationships – young people need and deserve to have at least one person in their lives, outside of their family, who believes in them as an individual. Night Hoops provides young adult coaches with the opportunity to make connections in a community and to make a difference in youth’s lives. 

Thank you Night Hoops for a great start!

Jessica Land
King George Community Schools Coordinator