Mission, Texas- If you attend a Mission High School or Veterans Memorial High School home basketball game this season, be sure to stay seated for a new halftime treat. Elementary students will be showcasing their basketball skills as a part of a new program called Mission Ballers.
Over 300 elementary students are participating in the Mission Ballers program. P.E. Coordinator, Martina Carrillo has been working with principals, coaches, and administration for months to get the program up and running. Through Mission Ballers, Carrillo hopes to encourage an early interest in basketball by working with the younger students on ball handling skills, along with improving their agility and general fitness.
There are a total of 7 Mission Ballers groups that are made up representatives from each Mission Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) elementary school. Each school is grouped with a nearby campus for a team of 10-30 student, each. The team members will perform at halftime of the high school basketball games.
District officials have also partnered with the UTRGV Basketball program and the RGV Vipers to perform at some of their halftimes during February and March.
The east schools groups are: Alton Elementary School and Salinas Elementary School; Castro Elementary School and Bryan Elementary School; Mims Elementary School and Midkiff Elementary School. The west side groups are: Cavazos Elementary School and Cantu Elementary School; Escobar/Rios Elementary School and Waitz Elementary School; Marcell Elementary School and O’Grady Elementary School; Pearson Elementary School and Leal Elementary School.
The first performances are scheduled for this week’s games: December 12 and 15.
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