NBA Coaches for Kids program tips off its fifth year

This NBA season marks the fifth year of the NBA Coaches for Kids program. The program is a collaborative effort between NBA head coaches and athletic trainers in conjunction with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and NBA Cares. Through the program, BGCA members in every NBA team market get an opportunity to attend a game and experience the excitement firsthand, plus receive a pregame interactive “life lesson” from an NBA coach or athletic trainer.

Since its inception, the NBA Coaches for Kids program has brought out more than 150,000 BGCA members to NBA games throughout the league and has contributed nearly $2 million to BGCA, which has helped the nonprofit organization coordinate this experience nationwide.

This year, in addition to providing BGCA members with tickets to games and in-arena interactive opportunities, the program will also donate $1,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs that the participating coaches attended or to a Boys & Girls Club in their current team city.

A highlight of the program will take place during the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston when 30 young members of Boys & Girls Club of Greater Houston will get the opportunity to watch the East and West All-Star team practices, followed by a special meet and greet with one of the All-Star coaches.

During this season’s pregame meet and greets with BGCA members, the coaches and trainers will emphasize the importance of the BGCA’s Great Futures Impact Plan. This recently launched plan highlights three missions, which form the basic expectations of every BGCA member.

The first of three missions that they highlight is academic success. What they expect from their members is for them to graduate from high school, get ready for college, trade school, the military or employment. The second is good character and citizenship. They must be an engaged citizen and get involved in their community, register to vote and model strong character. The third mission is healthy lifestyle. They want the members to adopt a healthy diet, practice healthy lifestyle choices and make a lifelong commitment to personal fitness.

Not only do NBA coaches and trainers help athletes better their game and grow as athletes and human beings year after year, they also help thousands of kids each year grow as individuals. Now in its fifth season, the NBA Coaches for Kids program continues to grow year after year and will continue to grow for many years to come.