Colorado Basketball In The Community

Colorado basketball players and coaches with Team Boulder

Colorado Basketball In The Community

The Colorado women's basketball team held a clinic for a local group of 8th grade girls on April 11, the result of a year long association with EFAA -- The Emergency Family Assistance Association, which serves Boulder and Broomfield counties in Colorado.

Working in cooperation with other human service organizations, schools, congregations and local police departments, EFAA serves as the hub of a coordinated network of helpers. EFAA provides food, financial assistance programs, emergency shelter and transitional housing programs. EFAA also reaches out directly to the community for help and support in their efforts through a variety of very successful volunteer and fund-raising programs.

The team adopted EFAA as its organization for community service this season. After meeting with the organization last fall, the Buffaloes offered to auction off a basketball clinic at EFAA's annual fundraiser on Nov. 12 at the Omni Interlocken Hotel & Resort. Head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller along with Buffs Kara Richards, Britney Blythe, Whitney Houston and Chelsea Dale were on hand to auction off the clinic which brought in over $2,000 for EFAA.

"It's important to have a role in community service," said Dale, a sophomore guard from Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. "We are so fortunate to be a part of this community and as a team we know that anything we can do to help our community, we're on board."

CU welcomed in Team Boulder to the Coors Events/Conference Center on April 11 for a morning full of instruction. Clinic attendees practiced a wide range of skills including shooting, passing, footwork and playing defense. All nine of Colorado's returners for next season joined coach McConnell-Miller and assistant coach Patrick Harrington to teach basketball to this young group.

After the clinic, one family that participated had this to say about the CU Buffs and EFAA:

"On behalf of EFAA and our 8th grade Team Boulder girls basketball team, we want to thank you for a wonderful basketball clinic on Saturday. The girls (and parents) loved every minute of it! Thank you for working with the girls and teaching them about footwork, getting open, help defense and passing ? things they can work on over the summer to get better. During water breaks and after the clinic, all my girls were smiling and talking about how great it is to be working with you and your players. As parents, we were very impressed with your players and how they pulled aside almost every one of our players to give them pointers on the skill they were learning. Bianca Smith especially went above and beyond leading the girls in the drills, encouraging them to do better, go faster and also taking the time to give us a tour of the locker room and offices (with Chelsea Dale). We also loved watching Brittany Spears practice shooting after the clinic using the rebound machine ? a couple of our girls tried shooting over the net and were amazed at how high they had to shoot to get the ball in, and how easy Brittany was making it look!

"EFAA is an organization that has been near and dear to our hearts for many years now and we are so grateful for your generosity to help this organization. It also shows how you are building not only great basketball players but also strong young women who are involved in helping their community. We are so impressed with you, your program and your players ? thank you for a wonderful morning." -- Peggy and Rob Kaufman.

The CU Athletic Department features over 15 programs for student-athletes, coaches, staff members and the Boulder community to participate in. CU women's basketball players have found their niche with a variety of youth clinics and also participates in other programs such as Read With The Buffs and National Girls and Women In Sport Day.

For more information on EFAA visit www.efaa.org.

Click here to view photos from the basketball clinic!