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Commandos, kids take to the court

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eboni Reece
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The sound of children's laughter amongst dribbling basketballs was all that could be heard as children were afforded the chance to go one-on-one with members of Cannon's varsity basketball team during a basketball clinic at the Youth Center, at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., Feb. 26.

"The clinic consisted of examples and drills for proper footwork, body alignment, hand positioning and the fundamentals of the game," said Master Sgt. William Mobley, 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron. "We concentrated on dribbling correctly, shooting and most of all having a good time in a learning environment."

Mobley, Cannon's head varsity coach, enlisted help from members of the base basketball team and put together a simple, learnable and fun set of activities for the kids.

"My team contributed greatly as 'coaches' for the children," added Mobley. "They were with them every step of the way encouraging and positively correcting them."

Members of the men's basketball team volunteered their time to aide in teaching useful basketball skills to children, ranging from ages 6-11.

"It was amazing seeing the smiles on those young kids' faces and how eager they were to learn," stated Senior Airman Ronald Graham, 27th Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning technician. "It touched my heart deeply."

Donating time for the benefit of youth in the Cannon community, proved to be an incalculable experience for everyone involved.

"Years ago, I was one of those little kids who wanted to learn and looked up to the local team," explained Graham. "It's a blessing that I'm able to make a kid smile. Even their parents were smiling from ear to ear-- priceless."

After more than an hour of practice, each child left the clinic with a sports bag donated by the base basketball team, a certificate, an autographed team photo and perhaps a few new tricks to use the next time they are on the basketball court.

"I am honored to have been a part of this," stated Mobley. "With the successful turnout, we would love to do more clinics with the children to pass on our knowledge and to give back to the base which gives us so much!"

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