Senior guard Faye Osburn is in the midst of a two-week basketball service trip to South Africa. She, along with other college basketball players, is helping to host a series of clinics for local youths and coaches. This is a recent message she sent about her time in South Africa.
Hi everyone!
This Thursday evening the group I am traveling with in South Africa hosted a clinic in a small community called Oudtshoorn. The youth there were from families whose parents were unemployed, in a rough environment and the facility was developed to be a safe place for the kids to be after school while they waited for their parents to come home.
The coach at the facility pulled all of us from the States aside after the clinic was completed to thank us for our time and the opportunity we had with the children. He expressed his sincere affection for us and explained how many of the youth at the clinic had never played basketball before and were so excited to hear that Americans were coming to help teach them a new game. He explained how the children would remember us for years to come and how the Americans came and played the game of basketball with them. He said we could never imagine the impact we have left on this kids just from coaching a single camp for them. The coach also thanked us from the bottom of his heart for giving the kids a chance of hope and guidance and a game that could pull them from the streets and unite the community.
I am so grateful I have been given this opportunity to coach the local youth in communities who are not as privileged as us a game I am so passionate about. The giant smiles on their faces and dedication to each drill as they want to become the best is something that I cannot even put into words.
Go Leopards!
Faye