Shooting Hoops Creates Currency of the Heart

Dr Jodie Meyer and Dr. Steve Tuber have found a unique way to invest the currency of their hearts into their community. This professional couple (both psychologists) created a basketball program for third through eighth grade boys and girls in Hastings on Hudson, NY, in 2002 and have managed it ever since. Both wife and husband are involved in all aspects of the Program every Saturday from early December through the end of March each year.

Most importantly, the Program is guided by developmental principles aimed at minimizing the stress and maximizing the fun of childhood athletics. It creates a dynamic balance among competition, caring and sportsmanship. Procedures have been derived that strive to ensure that teams are balanced skill-wise; that playing time is equitable; that rules and even the size of the basketballs are modified to fit the developmental needs of the children as they progress through the Program; and that parents are strongly guided to positively

support their children’s play without criticism of coaches, referees or other players. Referees are high school students (often graduates of the basketball program) and are also guided by Jodie and Steve to promote fairness and fun.

 

Steve writes an article reviewing every game every week in the local town paper, the Rivertowns Enterprise. Over the course of the season every player is mentioned at least once in the article. In this way each child is given public attention and credit for his or her efforts on the basketball court.

Jodie and Steve, as they are known by the locals, do all of this because they love doing it, they love the kids who play basketball, they love their community, Hastings on Hudson, and they derive deep gratification from helping to evoke the life lessons learned by all concerned through being part of a team sport.



Rosemary Williams launched Currency of the Heart to inspire readers to “pay it forward” from the heart’s most precious currency. We’d love to hear from you! To share your story or to request permission to republish this blog post, please email rosemarycwilliams@gmail.com. 

© 2013 Rosemary Williams