Women’s basketball devoted time to youth center
Stephen Peck
MesaCC Legend
The Mesa Community College (MCC) Women’s basketball team volunteered their time to serve others before the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Tournament in Harrison, Arkansas. The Lady Thunderbirds basketball team and the coaches mentored the children of the Brandon Burlsworth Youth Center. The facility was minutes away from the Pioneer Pavilion, the center where the national competition was held.
According to MCC Athletics, the women went to the youth center after their first official tournament practice to spend time with 6-12-year-old children. The team went over plays and gave the young athletes tips about the game. The children also ran through some drills and basketball workouts. The Lady-T-Birds capped the day by playing a match with the kids to make the day more interesting.
The youth center is named after Harrison native, Brandon Burlsworth, who died in a vehicle accident on his way home to Harrison, just 11 days after being drafted into the NFL by the Indianapolis Colts. MCC prides itself on giving back to the community. The college has a community and civic engagement component to student learning and there is a course that focuses on leadership and giving back, open enrollment for any student.
