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Getting Our Head In The Game

Shooting Touch Monthly Newsletter | May 9, 2024 | Explore Our Impact

Uplifting Boston Youth This Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month aligns with start of Shooting Touch Boston Enrichment Program

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and our Shooting Touch Boston (STB) program is kicking off its Mental Health Education Unit! Each year, fifty young athlete-beneficiaries participate in STB’s “AAU The Right Way Program,” receiving impactful educational enrichment, focused on critical topics such as identity, social justice, nutrition, leadership development, and mental health, in addition to accessing high-level basketball training and competition at no cost.

As the Spring AAU season heats up and Shooting Touch excels on the court, STB coach-educators are also hard at work providing mentorship and supporting the holistic wellbeing of our athletes. The Mental Health Unit launched last week, kicking off two-months of interactive lessons touching on a variety of topics, such as the importance of breaking stigmas around mental health, learning how to deal with stress in sports and life, promoting positive body image, cultivating healthy emotional expression, and other relevant discussions related to health and wellness.

To learn more about the transformative impact of sport participation on girls’ mental health, click HERE to view insightful resources from our partners at the Women’s Sport Foundation! We also invite you to explore all that our impactful “AAU The Right Way Program” has to offer.

Rwanda Program Addresses Mental Health Head On

Shooting Touch Rwanda’s mental health initiatives have transformed lives and communities

In Rwanda, Shooting Touch has also carried out pivotal programming to address the mental health needs of our sport-for-development participants. In partnership with Comic Relief and local nonprofits SURF (Survivors Fund Rwanda) and UNM (Uyisenga Ni Imanzi), Shooting Touch Rwanda (STR) has coordinated mass community mental health campaigns and targeted interventions - including group counseling and mental health hotlines - to strengthen mental wellness at the individual, family, and community levels.

In 2023, Community Health Workers employed by STR provided mental health education and resources to 26,935 community members in rural Rwanda. Shooting Touch also connected our most vulnerable youth and women athlete-beneficiaries directly with mental health practitioners; in 2023, youth participants showed a 50% increase in knowledge around mental health, while women showed a 35% increase - and this knowledge influenced life-changing behavioral change.

“I've gained the necessary knowledge to take care of my own mental well-being, but I also feel equipped enough to aid and teach others with mental health problems, too,” shared one Shooting Touch boy beneficiary. Explore our mental health impact in our 2023 Annual Report!

Shooting Touch Boston Shines At Good Sports Gala

Boston program teamed up with Good Sports to illustrate impact of long-time partnership

For the past six years, Good Sports has supported Shooting Touch Boston (STB) by providing free equipment and gear for our athlete-beneficiaries, giving them the materials they need to build confidence on and off the court, while eliminating financial barriers keeping youth out of sport.

Last month, Shooting Touch’s Director of Boston Operations, Kamilah Washington, and AAU Head Coach, Mitchell Hercule, had the opportunity to represent STB in a Program Impact Video at Good Sports’ Boston Legends Gala, in which they outlined how the gear donation initiatives supports the program’s mission of bridging health and opportunity gaps for girls and gender-expansive youth facing racial, gender, and economic inequalities in Greater Boston.

“When you come into the [Shooting Touch Boston] program and you don't have anything, [Good Sports] takes care of you,” said Coach Mitch. “They get you your shorts, and your sports bras, get you a water bottle and a basketball. [We] get you all this equipment, but [we] also nurture you... so [young athletes] are going to continue to come, and continue to get better.”

To watch the full video and learn more about this game-changing partnership, click HERE.

Shooting Touch invites you to our upcoming Signature Events in the Boston area:

Shooting Touch’s 13th Annual Gala is back with a brand new look! Hosted at the elegant Arts for Humanity EpiCenter in Boston, MA, this year’s “Casino Night” theme offers a fresh and fun spin on Shooting Touch’s beloved Gala event.

Join us for inspiring stories from our award-winning sport-for-development programs in Boston and Rwanda, and get ready for an action-packed evening of games and activities - all for an incredible cause. We can’t wait to see you all there!

Mark your calendars today for Saturday, October, 26, 2024, and stay tuned for additional information about event details and Sponsorship Opportunities.

Have a question about an upcoming Signature Event? Contact Cecilia Reyes, Shooting Touch’s Assistant Director of Development, at cecilia@shootingtouch.com for all event inquiries.

Shooting Touch is an international sport-for-development organization whose mission is to use the mobilizing power of basketball to bridge health and opportunity gaps for youth and women facing racial, gender, and economic inequalities in Boston and Rwanda.

 

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