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Ella is a sixth-grader whose life has been transformed by HoopLife – a Youth+Us partner in Regina that’s so much more than just a place to play basketball. It’s an organization that enhances growth and development of young people, promotes better health and wellbeing, and encourages leadership skills in everyone who comes to shoot hoops.
Once a dedicated dancer, Ella has found a new passion, met new friends, and has experienced the positive impact this special place has on the lives of young people just like her.
Finding a New Passion
Ella’s brother introduced her to basketball, which soon led her to HoopLife. Feeling an immediate pull to the sport, she decided to join the gym – even though it meant stepping away from another passion to pursue something brand new. “I was doing 8 dance lessons a week,” she recalls. “I did ballet, character ballet, jazz, tap, acro, hip hop…basically any dance you can name.” But once she started with HoopLife, she hasn’t looked back: “I just loved basketball from then on.”
A Safe and Welcoming Space
There are plenty of reasons why she loves HoopLife and its new K+S Potash Gymnasium in Regina, but among the biggest is simply the atmosphere of encouragement and growth. She’s made many new friends throughout her time there, and the coaches have helped her thrive. “There’s basketball all year round. There are camps, there are sessions like weight training, all to help you be a better basketball player in a fun environment,” she explains. “The coaches are positive. They try to make you feel welcome, and you make a ton of great friends along the way – even if I’m competing against them sometimes.”
It wasn’t easy for Ella to give up dance, which had been a significant part of her life since she was three years old. But she knew that HoopLife’s support could give her something that dance couldn’t. “It was very hard to quit dance. I still love it. But the competition with basketball was a big part of it – that’s why I wanted to join, because I’m very competitive. I felt I could become more assertive here and develop the skills to keep getting better.”
Skills for the Future
Another bonus of being in HoopLife is what it offers off the court, too. They go beyond rules and games to teach important life skills, focusing on the emotional rewards that come with learning the value of hard work, teamwork, and perseverance.
Diego Orellana, HoopLife’s Director of Partnerships, points to Ella as a testament to the positive impact that such programs can have on young people. “We want to get them prepared for the next step – whether that’s a job, going into high school, whatever it may be. We just want to help them. And for the people that support us, well, we couldn’t do this without you. Thank you for making it all possible.”
