We Are Venice Magazine: 4th Edition by BGCV BGCV Magazine | Page 48

Club Sport Highlights:
Kobe, Dodgers and Ballet
oys & Girls Clubs of Venice is
proud of our exceptionally
strong athletics program. We run
basketball, baseball/softball, flag
football, soccer (futsal), ballet,
and more at our Main Site.
BGCV was invited to partici-
pate in the inaugural Nike-
sponsored Kobe Bryant Mamba
League, which re-invigorated our bas-
ketball program. With the help of the
Mamba League, we were able to pro-
vide coaches for seven middle school
teams, three girls teams and four boys
teams. The teams practiced twice a
week in their brand new Nike apparel
and competed once a week. We even
had one team that made it to the
championship game at the Staples
Center and met the legend himself,
Kobe Bryant!
The basketball program has seen
growth and development of Club
members. As Kobe said, “the Mamba
League is a fun league for kids to
learn the game, have fun, but also un-
B
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derstand the
connection that
the game has
with life in
general and
convert that
into being a
better son, a better daughter, a better
student. The line for the league is ‘Play.
Learn. Grow.’ Through playing the
game of basketball, I learned not just
about the game but about myself and
about others, and through that process,
you grow.”
Thank you Kobe and Nike for al-
lowing us to be a part of Mamba
League. All of our members had an in-
credible time participating in the
league, becoming better basketball
players and more responsible citizens.
To learn more about the Mamba
League, check out:
www.news.nike.com/news/kobe-
bryant-mamba-league.
BGCV also participated in the
Dodgers RBI program again this sum-
mer. Every Friday,
Club members
from third
through eighth
grade would walk
to Oakwood Park
to compete in a
friendly game between grades. The
Dodgers RBI Program is a fun way for
our members to be introduced to
baseball and softball, as well as breed
some fresh Dodger fans. A few select
members had the exciting opportunity
to take a field trip to Dodgers Stadium,
take a tour of the facility, and meet a
few Dodger players!
This past year, the Club intro-
duced a brand new program for our
young girls – ballet. Due to the gener-
ous support of the Green Foundation,
the Club was able to hire an instructor
to teach our members ages 6-12 the
basic techniques and positions of bal-
let. Our ballet class performed at our
Spring Talent Show and is gearing up
for another amazing season.
We Are Venice