Cal Stars Basketball

 “We’re using to sport to create social change,” says former Cal Star Lindsay Nickel – and the “we” in this case is Hoops 4 Hope, a South African-based organization that has been devoted to helping young people for more than 15 years. 

Nickel, who averaged 8.8 points per game for Brown this past season after starring at Pinewood School in Los Altos Hills, earned a Royce Fellowship at Brown that will allow her to spend six weeks in South Africa helping Hoops 4 Hope -- and also coaching a little basketball. 

“Sport is the tool by which we can improve communities and foster youth development,” says Nickel, whose athletic experience has been crucial in her own growth as a person. “Basketball has had such a huge impact on my life,” she says, “and if I can pass on any part of that to girls in South Africa that would be great.” 

That said, she’s uncertain as to how many girls will be involved in the basketball program in South Africa, a nation which is still fighting a long tradition of male domination of women. Hoops 4 Hope recognizes that problem, and founder Mark Crandall uses basketball clinics to help educate young people about HIV (a huge problem in South Africa), gender violence and overall life skills. 

Nickel will spend much of her time in Capetown and the nearby townships doing “a case study of Hoops 4 Hope and how effective its AIDS program is. I’m only there for six weeks but I want to understand the Hoops 4 Hope approach.” 

South Africa has been particularly hard hit by HIV because one-time president of the country Thabo Mbeki denied the connection between the virus and AIDS, which set back prevention and control of the disease substantially. 

Nickel, though, isn’t locked into any specific plan. “A lot of it will evolve while I’m there,” she says, but she definitely wants to include basketball in the picture. “I’m going to be coaching in the afternoon,” and she hopes she gets to coach some girls. 

And she knows the game. She won a state title at Pinewood under legendary coach Doc Scheppler in 2006, and was on a NorCal championship team in 2009. She played for the Cal Stars in 2007 and 2008, and credits director Kelly Sopak for much of her success. 

“I loved Kelly and I loved the way he coached,” she says. “All credit to Kelly – he was a mentor to me and I probably wouldn’t be where I am today without Cal Stars.”

Where she’ll be this summer is South Africa, and you can follow her on her blog at http://shooting4change.blogspot.com/ as she helps South African youngsters start taking the steps that lead to a better life.

The first shipment of Cal Stars' uniforms has arrived, and more is on the way. Coaches will distribute the gear as soon as it's available.