This year, members of the East Texas Baptist University Lady Tigers and Tigers basketball teams have broken away from their own preparations for the upcoming season. On Saturday afternoon, October 31, 2009, they held four simultaneous basketball clinics at four different apartment complexes near campus. The basketball players helped over 120 children improve their basketball skills, as well as provided an opportunity to minister to them.

"We had a lot of fun teaching the kids shooting techniques, dribbling, stretching, and other things needed to play basketball," said ETBU post player Josh Chambers of Mexia. "I went because I love working with kids and believe they need positive role models as well as for someone to show them the love of Jesus."

"Seeing the kids smile and having fun brought a smile to my face," said senior Karlee Wilson of Hallsville. Brandace Latin, a freshman from Shreveport, La., said, "There were only a few kids in our group which allowed us to develop relationships thus providing the opportunity to get to know each kid well." Junior guard Jessica King from Coppell, Texas enjoyed "seeing how happy they got when they did something right in a drill or won a prize."

Another plus from this ministry outreach was a "Cross Training Fit Kit" given as a gift to each participant as they left the clinic. Funds provided by the Baptist General Convention of Texas Mary Hill Davis State Mission Offering allowed the ETBU Great Commission Center to purchase items for the gift.

The contents of the kits included shampoo, washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, tissue, Germ-X, soap, and a Bible verse wristband. The basketballs used in the clinic were either given away as prizes or left with the apartment complex manager for future use.

"This was a wonderful opportunity to involve our basketball teams in local community ministry and because of the flu season, it was decided to purchase items that would promote hygiene and wellness," said Great Commission Center Director Allan Thompson.

"All the kids seemed very grateful to receive the hygiene packets," said junior Priscilla Galliguez of Waco. "They were happy because we were hooping with them and the packets really topped it off."

The locations, Belaire Manor Apartments, Ryan's Crossing, Ward Plaza, and the Marshall Housing Authority on Poplar Street, were chosen because of the weekly presence of ETBU students. Students involved with the Baptist Student Ministry visit the four complexes each week to conduct a ministry called Kid's Club.

"At ETBU, we encourage each student to view him or herself as a kingdom citizen whose talents and time are to be put at the disposal of the Lord," Thompson said.

"It was a great opportunity for the basketball teams to show Christ's love in a way that kids would understand and enjoy," Galliguez said.