By Maggie Brown (@MagsOnWags)
Their feet are bare and their clothes are tattered,
And yet they show up at Crossover like nothing is the matter.
As four o’clock passes the gym fills up as the children gather,
And laughter fills the room as their smiles grow fatter.
The students come from far and wide, perhaps enduring a twelve hour ride,
They’re here to learn the lessons that money cannot buy,
And to see all that the Hoops Creating Hope message can provide.
With each shot their joy and passion come alive,
And happiness fills their tiny bodies with each slapping of a high five.
Before we arrived we could only envision,
What life would be like in a still developing world on a mission.
We wondered how the people would live,
And what exactly it was that we could give.
We wanted to help but weren’t sure how,
But only knew that we were here to make an impact right now.
The problem was we didn’t know,
If the children’s reception to Crossover Basketball would greatly grow.
Luckily, the attention of our service did not come slow,
As we began work and the love of basketball began to glow.
With our simple acts of service the children have learned,
All that it is that the lessons of sport can earn.
Beyond basketball is our concern,
As we work in Chennai to make a social turn.
Even though it is only day four,
With these kids major points have already been scored.
But what is still to be done is much more,
This is our journey but it can also be yours,
For there are many more students in India who Crossover can lure.
We have already touched countless children’s hearts,
But more importantly they have touched ours,
Opening doors of opportunity that cannot be matched.
An emotional connection we have already attached,
As our love of Crossover Basketball our hearts have already snatched.
Without service this connection would not be possible,
As learning without serving is simply not plausible.
We have much to learn and few days to do it,
So back to the court we go to keep Chennai’s passion for basketball lit.