Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, athlete’s lives have shifted dramatically. As a result, the NBA is resorting to games of Horse via Zoom. However, the truth is these professional basketball players are still raking in millions of dollars and have access to world-class equipment and nutrition in their mansions. But what about the local, youth athletes? Shooting Touch is a Boston-based nonprofit with the mission of aiding under-served female athletes by providing affordable and free AAU basketball programs. As a result, the company serves more than 200 girls in the state. Their main focus is to provides athletes from grade three to nine with nutrition, mental health, and strength and conditioning advice.
Most noteworthy, the company is on the ball. When Boston public schools closed, the company went virtual within 24 hours. Co-founder Lindsey Kittredge has always had this in mind. “For us, the athletic program is a large portion, but the other is social development, family belonging, and really having a safe place to go”, said Kittredge.
The Importance of Shooting Touch
During the pandemic, kids want to be active. For example, Boston Latin Academy eighth grader Tahira Muhammed. She recently earned a financial aid package to play for Noble & Greenough, one of the state’s top programs. Additionally, Muhammed’s mother, a teacher in the BPS school system, said she knows how important extracurriculars are to students. She says, “I get emails from students, saying, ‘Miss, I have nothing to do’.”
Shooting Touch features contributions from local coaches and even a celebrity or two. Former Celtic Brian Scalabrine recently released a video to help players with some balancing drills to do from home. “I’m just trying to give people something to focus on during a really tough time.”, Scalabrine said.
Shooting Touch is just one of the companies doing good for the community. Read about more good deeds being done by Boston organizations and citizens such as OOFOS donating footwear to first responders.
