The CMS Women's Basketball Team hosted a free youth basketball clinic on Saturday October 27th for kids in the community. The Athenas led the kids through a series of fundamental drills and stations including shooting, lay-ups, defense and dribbling. Almost 70 children from the greater Claremont area attended the clinic, including some as young as 3-years old. "I was a surprised to see so many kids show up. It was great to be able to teach that many kids about the game we love so much," stated Shelby Barthold '14. At the conclusion of the clinic, the kids were given posters that listed the Athenas' home games as well as a team picture. All of the kids eagerly lined up to get each of the Athenas' autographs.
The purpose of the clinic was to serve the local community while winning new fans. In the end, it proved to be a rewarding experience for the Athenas and the kids. One of the Athenas, Chloe Dobbert '14 said, "It was great to see the kids smiling and having a good time while being active." The Athenas also heard many of the kids ask their parents if they could come to the games when the season begins.
CMS Women's Basketball Coach Kristen Dowling concluded, "This was a great turnout for our first Youth clinic. This will be an annual tradition at CMS as we want to give back to the CMS and Claremont Community that gives so much to our program and colleges. Hopefully, we won over some new Athena fans in the process."
The Athenas' basketball season kicks off with a home game tonight against La Sierra University at 5:30 pm.