Sports leveraged to provide opportunities to youth via Hillside Connection
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Terrell Brown, born and raised in Southeast Colorado Springs, played basketball for East Middle School in Colorado Springs. In college, Terrell was a member of the basketball team and spent his free time mentoring children in the community.
In 2017, Brown founded “Hillside Connection” to leverage the game of basketball to create pathways to opportunity for kids in Southern Colorado Springs.
Throughout the year, youth boys (grades 1st-8th) and youth girls (grades 1st - 5th) are brought together to develop resiliency, teamwork, and leadership skills. Youth participate in basketball clinics, enrichment activities, community engagement opportunities, and basketball leagues while being exposed to leaders throughout the Pikes Peak Region.
Brown explains, "our mission is to leverage sport to create pathways to opportunities for kids in southern Colorado Springs. We’re using basketball as that main pillar to attract underprivileged kids and families. We have donation-based basketball clinics, a summer and a winter basketball clinic, which is a five-week experience that entails roughly three basketball-related sessions and two enrichment experiences. Enrichment experiences could be a trip to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, going to the Fine Arts Center, the National Cybersecurity Center.”
All programming is free of charge.
Youth boys and girls benefit from a variety of fun experiences. Past activities have included trips to the Olympic Training Center, Fine Arts Center, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Broadmoor World Arena, Pikes Peak Center, and Tinseltown Movie Theatre. Youth also participated in the Denver Broncos Junior Training Camp.
From late May until the end of June, Hillside Connection hosts a free Summer Basketball League at Memorial Park for Elementary Boys (grades 4th -5th) and Middle School Boys (grades 6th -8th) in Southern Colorado Springs.
