Women's basketball team hosts free youth clinics around Ohio Valley

Andrew Woodley, Sports Information Director

BETHANY, W.Va. (Oct. 30) - The Bethany College women's basketball team volunteered its time to provide a pair of free clinics to young girls in the Ohio Valley area recently. The team went to Wheeling Park High School on Saturday, October 7 (pictured) and provided a second clinic on Sunday, October 29 at Steubenville High School (pictured below) free of charge to anyone who attended.

The team worked with girls in grades three through seven from local elementary schools in the Wheeling area at Wheeling Park High School on October 7, and followed up by working with girls from grades one through six that participate in Steubenville's recreational league on October 29 at Steubenville High School.

"These free clinics were great opportunities for our program, especially our student athletes, to get out in the surrounding communities and give back and help to make a positive impact on young girls lives through the game of basketball" said Head Coach Brian Sansom.

Coach Sansom and Assistant Coach Erica Snow ran both clinics, while the team operated stations around the gyms that worked on different fundamentals of the game, such as ball handling, shooting, passing and defense.

"Sometimes as 18 to 21 year olds these ladies don't realize how big of an impact they're having on someone's day or life with simply teaching them how to dribble or giving a simple high-five," added Sansom. "The smiles on the faces from both the campers and my team said it all for me. I am very proud of my team and assistant coach. They make it easy to enjoy being their coach."

Participants from both clinics were invited by the team to attend Bethany home games this season. The Wheeling Park clinic participants will be cheering on the Bison when they open Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play against Geneva College on Wednesday, November 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hummel Field House. The Steubenville clinic participants have not determined a date yet, but will come to a game in either December or January this season to cheer on the Bison.

Coach Sansom added that a third free clinic, potentially at Brooke County High School, is in the works, but a date has not been determined.