University of Idaho men’s basketball team inspires next generation of athletes at Hoopfest

As teams made their way through Riverfront Park to pick up their Hoopfest packets on Friday, they had the opportunity to take part in a kids clinic or attend a mascot game to see Ribby the Redband Trout and Joe the Idaho Vandal of the Spokane Indians face off in a 3-on-3 game.

The University of Idaho is sponsoring Hoopfest for the second year in a row and is hosting the clinic to pair the school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams with youngsters eager to learn their skills.

“We are looking for an opportunity to bring our athletes to Spokane and talk with kids, hoping to inspire them and fuel college players’ passion for basketball,” said John Barnhart, co-director of the marketing at the UI. “What inspired the skills clinic is kind of what we stand for at the University of Idaho: we’re an educational institution, we help people achieve their goals. »

The UI hopes to encourage children to continue doing what they love and having fun.

“It makes these kids very excited and they’re ready to go play,” said Titus Yearout, junior guard for the IU men’s basketball team.

The mascot component of the event was back by popular demand, Barnhart said.

“You could tell they were having so much fun, and when the mascot challenge was over, all the kids wanted pictures with the mascots, autographs with the mascots, so I hope it’s a tradition of long time.”

Community involvement grows each year at Hoopfest, the international tournament that begins Saturday, offering a variety of opportunities for everyone from kids who have never had a coach to professionals who have traveled to Spokane from other countries.

“It’s a good way for them to have fun and prepare for their matches the next day,” said Rachel Zarowny, Hoopfest’s sponsorships and partnerships manager.

“It’s really cool to have local universities supporting Hoopfest and our community,” Zarowny added.

By bringing together youth and college athletes to have a good time, everyone has the opportunity to be seen as part of this community.

“It’s awesome to be able to give back to all these kids because I’ve been in their shoes and I would have wanted the same thing if I was in their shoes, to have someone to look up to and teach them a few things and be kind of an older mentor,” Yearout said. “Working in these clinics, it’s like, if I was that age, I know I would have been super excited to come out here and play with Division I athletes and learn some tips and tricks.”

Yearout said he started going to Hoopfest at a young age, and “that kind of started this fire with basketball.”

The kids described the clinic and college players as educational, helpful and exciting, enjoying activities like relays and layups. The college players enjoyed encouraging these kids to keep working hard and having a good time, according to Vandals senior forward Julius Mims.

“We are all ready to do it. We did it last year and it was awesome, and this year was awesome too,” Mims said.