When I’m not working hard as the Chief Revenue Officer at Social5, you can usually find me on the basketball court. I have had a long history with basketball and love the life lessons it teaches young people. Two years ago, I was excited to add a new player to the AAU team I coach. He arrived in Salt Lake City from the Republic of Mali in Africa, and my roster of players welcomed him with open arms, and they all instantly became friends.
As the team (and I) learned more about Mali and some of the needs of the community, the team, along with a group of very generous people, decided to come up with a game plan. Team members raised money and then headed to Mali to assist with service projects in our new hoop mate’s home country.
Our team was organized into groups. Each group was responsible for raising funds for a different project, including a school roof, hauling down and assembling school desks, water filtration education, and best of all in the eyes of the boys: a new basketball hoop!
Our team was greeted at the Bamako airport in the capital city by the Mali National Basketball team. After receiving a warm welcome, we quickly went to work implementing our various projects. The trip was a huge success on many levels for everyone involved. I went there with my team expecting to help others, but we all returned home with a better understanding about ourselves and what really matters in life. We learned so much from our trip and are forever changed by the experience.
