Wednesday, February 5th marked the second annual National Girls and Women’s Sports event, hosted by Hoops Collaborative and the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun at Massasoit Community College.
In 2023, Kam Washington (CEO of Diverse Drip) introduced me to Coach Mitch, also known as Herc 42. I assume the “42” comes from his jersey number, though I never asked for the backstory. The moment I met Coach Mitch; he was very welcoming like we knew each other for years. The way people interact with you matters and his interactions always involve a smile…unless you are joking around when he says “OKAY”.
If you see him in practice to me that is legit the warning signal and he doesn’t even need to finish his sentence because he has already captured everyone’s attention with that one word.
I was initially brought on to DJ one event, and now, two years later, I’ve had the privilege of DJing over 20 events for The Hoops Collaborative.
What many don’t see, however, is the behind-the-scenes effort that goes into organizing youth sports programming, which makes events like this so special. These events are part of an ongoing, year-round program for young girls (Coach also offers athletic programs for young men).
On Ladies Nights hosted on Friday evenings at Massasoit, you’ll see Erica Rivers lowering the hoops, and keeping things in order. Ron capturing the action as people enter the gym, Coach Reggie Carter setting things up, Coach Viega leading warm-ups, and Coach Mitch engaging with both parents and youth.
A special shoutout also goes to Erica Rivers, who plays a crucial role in physically hosting Hoop Collaborative events in their space at Massasoit College. When she’s not making sure everything runs smoothly, you might catch her court-side at a WNBA game. You’ll also spot @FromDEEEP with H.O.O.P.S dropping off merchandise, adding that special touch to every event.
In 2024, H.O.O.P.S took 100 girls to see the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun play — twice. I was lucky enough to receive a “Media Credential,” which gave me the opportunity to capture the incredible warm-up session of the former Starting 5 of the Connecticut Sun.
This past summer, Dick’s Sporting Goods awarded H.O.O.P.S Collaborative a $25K grant for their athletic programming, a testament to the hard work Coach Mitch and his team continue to put in.
I’ll never forget telling Coach Mitch when we first met, “I wish there were programs like this when I was growing up. I probably would’ve been better at basketball.” All I remember from my youth was BNBL, which was our summer workout for the upcoming season, along with a few basketball clinics here and there.
With all that said, a huge thank you to H.O.O.P.S Collaborative — first, for keeping me employed, and second, for providing such a meaningful program to these young athletes.
