Good Job Mamre Baptist

[ballparent]

My congrats to Mamre Baptist for taking care of our local boys and girls in all aspects of their lives. It sounds like a great program that I wish had been around when my children were little. Good job Billy Bruce for writing another inspirational article on even our youngest sports players.
Hoops on the Hill drawing folks to Mamre Baptist on Saturdays
Feb 20, 2008 @ 08:51 PM
By BILLY BRUCE
The Lawrence Herald
KITTS HILL, Ohio -- Using hoops to instill hope, Mamre Baptist Church has created a program that is nothing but net.

Hoops on the Hill, a basketball-based ministry for children, brings approximately 800 people to the church every Saturday, making Senior Pastor Jeff Davenport beam about the opportunity to lead souls to Christ.

"We believe that basketball is secondary to a much greater need, and that is to help these kids and their parents understand that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives," Davenport said, adding that Hoops on the Hill is not a championship league, but a developmental league. "The Hoops program has allowed us to change some of the deep-seeded and, I believe, misplaced values that often accompany sports."

According to Jack Miller, Hoops on the Hill coordinator, the league, available to youngsters from pre-school through sixth grade, blends Biblical-based beliefs with an amicable approach to competition. "You have to teach kids about competition," he said, adding, "You have to know how to lose and you have to know how to win."

Davenport added, "I guess you could say this is competition without the attitude."

There are no losers in this league, where parents are just as likely to root for their child's opponent as they are for their own team. The "win-at-all-costs" mentality typically found in organized sports has no place at Mamre. This is all by design.

"We want this to be about sportsmanship, leadership and compassion for others," Miller said, noting that the children practice only once each week while also memorizing a Bible verse that is repeated in unison before each Saturday's game. "Each week, we have skills we focus on," he said. "This week, it was rebounding."

Faith is a focus every week.

Of the approximately 120 kids who participate in Hoops on the Hill, only about 30 to 40 of them are members of Mamre Baptist Church. According to Youth Pastor Ryan Mc- Kee, opportunities abound to advance the church mission.

"The greatest thing is having contact with the parents who come out to watch the kids play," McKee said. "It leads to something that is more important than basketball."

Davenport, a former professional baseball player in the Kansas City Royals organization, also does associate scouting for the Atlanta Braves. He has had articles about Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer and Arizona Diamondbacks Cy Young award winner Brandon Webb published in Sports Spectrum Magazine and has also been published in Family Circle magazine. Recently, he penned "Chatter Up," a book aimed at promoting sportsmanship among children and parents.

Davenport recognizes that his passion for sports is a complement to his passion for Christ. Hoops on the Hill is designed to address both obsessions while adding to the family of believers at the same time. "A lot of people are passionate about sports, so it is easy to get behind something like this," he said. "You have a dad who may not be a Christian, but he loves sports. So, you get him involved and all of those defense mechanisms go down."

"Christians have fun, too," he added with a laugh.

Even the concession stand at Hoops on the Hill is set up with fair play in mind, accepting donations in exchange for hot dogs, cinnamon rolls, chips, candy, coffee, pop and bottled water. "We don't have any set fees," he said, adding that all money goes back into the league.

A recent transaction showed Davenport the willingness of the league's participants to assist in its financial support. "Somebody came up once and got a cup of coffee and a bottle of water and gave them a $50 bill," he said, adding with a laugh, "I sure hope the coffee was good!"

That example proves a belief that Davenport holds in his heart. "I think if you give good people the opportunity to do the right thing, they will," he said. "We have a lot of good people here."

Jack Adams visits Mamre every Saturday to watch his granddaughter, Kyleigh Noel, compete in the basketball league. "I think the fellowship is great," he said, noting that since the children come from about five different school districts, they get to meet kids they wouldn't have ordinarily met.

He said the basketball skills the children learn at the church will be an asset to them when they play in other organized leagues. "They'll be a lot more prepared than they would have been otherwise," Adams said.

Madeline Malone, 11, is in her first season as a basketball player and is thrilled with Hoops on the Hill. "It's my church and it is so much fun because, no matter what, everybody always has a good time playing," she said. "Nobody is on the losing team."

Teammate Savannah Fields, 11, enjoys the friendships forged by the league at her church. "My favorite part is being with my friends," she said, adding that she has played basketball since third grade.

Dave Brammer spent the entire day at Mamre Baptist Church last Saturday watching three of his children participate in different games. He said Hoops on the Hill is a much-needed outlet for local kids. "It instills Christian values," Brammer said. "The community has needed this for a long time."

Malone agreed with Brammer, saying Mamre is being led by the Lord in this mission. "This basketball ministry has really come about because the people of this church want to see family lives impacted by Christ," he said. "We want parents to see their children being taught the value of a family."

Sitting on top of Kitts Hill, Mamre Baptist Church extends an open invitation to any parent who wishes to involve their child in a Christ-centered sports atmosphere. For more information about Hoops on the Hill, contact Jack Miller at jmiller@mamre.org.

[someoverkill]

Great to hear this particular church doing what it takes to reach people. Great job!