Queens College Women’s Basketball Participates In The Basketball Buddies Program

Queens, N.Y. – The Queens College women’s basketball team took time out of their schedule on Thursday to participate in the Basketball Buddies Program at the . In what has become an annual event, the team was pair with special needs children and young adults aged 5-21 to act as friends and mentors. This was the second straight year the team has participated in the event.

The Basketball Buddies Program is geared towards autistic people aged 5-21. These folks are teamed with mentors who act as coaches and buddies throughout the season. The one-hour class that the QC women’s team participated in was overseen by a physical education instructor and social worker. Each child learned specific basketball skills and the class ends with a snack break and social skills learning piece. This is a great way for the young folks to socialize with their peers while learning sports and social skills on a weekly basis.

Coach Bet Naumovski stressed the importance of the event, “Participating in the Basketball Buddies program is an annual tradition that we are very proud to preserve. It is a program that is invaluable to the Queens community and we support it wholeheartedly.”

One junior on the team shared her thoughts on the event: “Physical activity is important for children with and without disabilities. It was an extreme honor to be able to use our expertise to help teach special needs children today. It was heartwarming to watch and share their love for the game.” While another teammate agreed, “It was an amazing experience to work with the kids. They were extremely excited to play and learn more about basketball. It was an awesome feeling watching them have so much fun playing with us.”