If we go back to the end of May,
we we all know what happened in
you Valley the next day you were
talking about wanting to do a
camp for the kids there just to
give them an hour or two hours.
3 hours of a distraction from
everything going on in that town. Why
I think the biggest thing
is is you know you look at.
I have an 8 and 10 year old son and I
think the biggest thing is is you know
you you're having such a horrific event
that has happened to innocent kids.
I mean they they haven't.
They didn't put themselves
in a situation they did not.
They weren't in a situation where
they're maybe with the wrong
type of people or anything.
We're talking innocent kids that are
just going and doing what they do
every day and go to school and to just grow.
As you know,
young children and things like that.
And I think what the biggest thing is is.
That really struck me and
it kind of struck me.
It started when it was ten years ago,
I believe when everything happened at
Sandy Hook and at that time we had had
our my wife and I had our first son
Harrison and I just remember seeing all this.
And again,
you're just looking at,
you know,
being a father for the first time
and so forth and having a newborn,
you know that really struck
me as just like you know,
these poor families and these innocent
children and you know they they they
didn't put themselves in this position.
They don't know how to defend themselves.
And you see that and then.
Now you Fast forward to what
happened in you all day.
And I think that's what really struck me
is that these children seeing things that.
Humans shouldn't have to see and adults,
and now you got 2nd through 5th
graders that are seeing things
that are just horrific and just.
You know,
that really struck a chord with me
and probably more so just because
of having a 10 and 8 year old.
Having a,
you know now a fifth and third grader,
you know they're in the same ballpark.
They're in the same age group.
They're with that.
And to see what happened and to a
community that is a smaller community.
That is almost of a family type
community that that just really struck
that they you know they needed something.
Those kids needed something.
To try to deviate from all the horrific
things that were happening and and you know,
as just anyone you know,
you try to figure out what are
some ways that I can help and.
You know,
I figured obviously being in the
world of athletics that you know
just to do something to deviate
them and try to help them and
what what can we best provide for
them to give them just just a just
a break from everything that's
going on in that community?
The junior college.
There is a staple in that community.
I mean, there's politicians who
have debates in that at that JC
and it's one of the centerpieces.
Kind of like the high school there.
You emailed the school.
How quickly did they hop on
board and want to help you?
Your program kind of help this town heal,
even if it's just through letting
the kids play basketball for
a few hours. And so you know obviously
being cognizant of what's going on and
knowing that they're not in a hurry to
answer an e-mail from Mark Moorefield
and Mary Hardin Baylor but still
wanted to kind of get that information
or get something in front of it,
knowing that you know,
not expecting to get anything
back for like a month.
Given obviously everything that's going
on and you know we had sent an e-mail
out to the ISD we had sent emails out.
I believe one was for the President
at Southwest Texas Junior College
and being a tight knit community,
you know that they all
communicate and so forth.
And I believe it was about maybe
three weeks after the fact,
maybe two to three weeks after the
incident that Southwest Texas Community
College had gotten back to me and said,
hey, we love this idea.
We're trying to think of something.
Let's let us get through some situations
and figure out some logistics of what
needs to be done and so forth and so.
That that they responded
about in that time frame,
and then probably I would say sometime
in June got another e-mail saying,
hey, here's what from Southwest
Texas Junior College.
Here's what we're looking at.
We're going to have a kids college
camp and it's going to be for
the Rob Elementary School kids,
2nd through 5th grade.
Would you like to participate?
And so obviously we jumped on it
and so forth and kind of said,
OK, what you know started to say.
Here's how we can interject you.
You know have a little basketball
camp and and So what it ended up being
was it was a week long thing with a
morning session and an afternoon session.
And each day Southwest Texas Junior
College in that camp had planned
different things and so one of the things
that they had planned for us was OK.
June 11th.
The morning and afternoon session
that Monday.
Why don't you run a basketball
camp and you know we'll rotate
groups and things like that?
And so it gave us an opportunity.
To participate in that,
and that's how we kind of got to where, OK?
Great idea. Let's put two ideas together.
How can we get this?
Here's what we're looking at.
Here's what you can offer and kind of came
together with Southwest Texas Junior College,
just again to provide.
You know two hours of just something
to take those children's minds off
and and and you can look at and say,
well, you know this incident
happened there and now we're talking.
It's July and you can sense you know.
Still,
there's obviously.
It may not reflect so much in the media,
but there's obviously still a very heavy,
heavy presence of fans,
and so forth of what's going on there,
and they still need that break.
Just maybe because we don't see
it every day on the news,
or read about it,
and it's not on the front page as
it once was in that first month.
Those those children still have,
you know, are seeing a lot of things.
There's still a lot of things that are
going on there in that community that
those children need a reprieve from.
I mean, it's still one of those things.
You're still shocking.
New updates constantly.
How much? Did you?
When you look at what sports
can offer, look at 9:11.
One ceremonial first pitch from
a president was this massive
symbol of national healing.
After one of the biggest
tragedies on American soil.
On a lesser scale.
It's not New York.
It's not the twin towers.
But it's a town that's hurting badly.
How much did?
Just using a sport to provide
any level of healing,
how much did that kind of
drive your want to do this?
I think that was the biggest thing was,
you know, we're not going down there to
to gain attention or do it by saying,
here's what you umhb does. Or here's what?
Uh, women's basketball does.
The whole point of it was is
to go down there and the first
and foremost were the children.
And just to give them that a reprieve.
And regardless, you may not have
ever played basketball in your life.
In that age group of 2nd to 5th graders,
but the whole point was to have fun
and and to be and do something where
we could take their attention off
and and we we didn't run it like
we run our camps here or practice.
It was all about having fun and
dribble relays and shooting games.
And you know, just basic,
just basic fun through athletics and
you know being able to take a couple
players and myself and coach Fred and
Ellis and his family and then taking
my 8 year old because he wanted to go.
And so forth and kind of play
with the kids and everything.
I, I think that's the biggest thing is,
is that.
There has to be a distraction and
there has to be something that
creates a distraction and obviously
donations and things like that.
Those are all great things,
but when the day is over,
those children need a distraction
from the reality of what's going on
in that community and that community.
Again,
even though we don't see has a
long way to go,
we went into a restaurant there in town,
had breakfast before we started the
camp and I remember a gentleman
asking where we're from.
We're in our UMHB search.
Start talking and he thanked us
for being there, you know,
and coming into the community and
I think that's what that Community
needs to a degree is something to
take those children's minds away
from everything.
Again,
we're talking about things that
people see in war or horrific crimes.
Your 2nd to 5th grader.
I mean in life,
that's not how it's supposed to be.
And you know,
I think that was the biggest thing is.
You know he has a coach.
You can only offer so many things.
And so what's the best thing that
we can offer?
Well,
what we can do is let's offer athletics.
Let's offer a sense of going out
and playing and having fun and
having our focus with our friends
and and just enjoy being around
while having fun and doing something
that can distract them.
And I think that was the biggest
focus that we had in going in and
wanting to do this, and to be able to.
Try in some form, even in my mind,
a very small piece of trying to
help those children.
How?
Refreshing was it for those few
hours just on a basketball court.
Just see these kids laughing having fun,
sweating a little bit even
though yeah well Jim had no AC so we were
really sweating but I think the biggest
thing was is that again they were having fun.
You know they were with their friends and
we were laughing and and you know we were
just we just we just were having fun.
We were doing things at 2nd and 5th
graders should be doing laughing,
having fun enjoying enjoying their friends.
And doing it without the distractions of the
real world or the consequences of things,
just. At peace, having fun.
Enjoying each other and and I think
that was a that was very and I
think that's the biggest thing is.
It was refreshing to see that those
young kids and and we obviously
don't see them on a daily basis, but.
It was refreshing to see that they're
having fun knowing what they went through.
None of us have been through it,
but knowing what they did go through
and at least to be able to give them to
be able to put a smile on their face.
It is worth it all.
What's the message that you want?
I'm not even not even your team,
not your campers.
What's the message you hope comes across
when people see this that your program,
without advertising it to the world before?
Went and just did something nice
for a community almost six hours
away from here that didn't know you.
Didn't know that your university
existed and that the community
that was that in need.
What message do you want people to
see? I think the biggest
thing is is we. We always.
Anything that we do within our program,
we don't do it to to to for media purpose,
social media, purpose to draw attention.
I think it's just doing what's right
and what's the right thing to do as
individuals and to do what's right.
And when someone's in need and it it's,
it's just the golden rule that we
follow and we go by is that, you know.
When you see someone in need,
a community in need.
Be willing to offer without having to do
it for your own reasons or self promotion.
Go and do it and not have to tell everybody
and not have to alert the community or
the world about this is what you're
doing to get on just the golden rule.
You see someone in need do the right thing.
And somehow some shape try to provide them.
With some help, some laughter,
just something to get them to feel
good and to help the healing process.
And you know that that was the biggest thing.
It wasn't about drawing attention.
It's not about doing this,
it's not.
It's about doing what's right
as a human being.
And seeing that you have a community
that's hurting that for us,
it is accessible for us to
get down there and to help.
And I think that's the biggest thing is
is we have to have more of that mindset.
And the great thing that's happened about
it is we've got a great relationship
with the Southwest Texas Junior College.
And in a matter of fact,
we want to continue to help.
We're we're talking about some
different things we can do in the fall,
and I think we're going to do
like a school supply drive.
Things like that.
We're going to go back because the whole team
couldn't go because we are in the summer,
but we're going to go down
there as a whole team.
And so there's different things
to do that we're working on.
Still yet, to kind of give back to that.
That that age group from Rob Elementary.
But I think again the biggest thing is is
do it with the purpose of wanting to help.
Not for yourself and I think again,
that's what a lot of our even
for our program we talk about.
We over me. Not to do it.
For publicity,
but do it because it's the right thing to do.