Interview by Wendy Slaton
With programs being cut in public schools, neighborhood youth sports clubs are becoming more critical to our community. HFM took time out to speak with Spring Branch Memorial Sports Association’s (SBMSA) General Manager, Caroline Bennett to find out more about the program. Here’s what she had to say…
What is SBMSA and why is it important?
Since1961, our mission remains to provide a safe sports environment where kids can grow and develop their love of sports in a positive, fair, yet competitive league. Our emphasis is on the importance of building character, sportsmanship and team unity to develop relationships and foster personal growth. Our program is open to all kids from elementary through high school. We offer partial and full scholarships so that we never have to turn a player away.
SBMSA is run mostly by a board of volunteers who oversee a particular sport. We also have volunteers who act as sportsmanship representatives for each sport. We utilize
What sports do you offer?
We offer football (tackle, flag and summer 7 on 7), soccer, basketball, lacrosse, baseball, and softball.
We serve close to 8,000 kids, about forty percent of those kids come from the Spring Branch Independent School District which includes 27 elementary schools, six middle schools, three high schools, Cornerstone and Westchester Academy, as well as numerous private schools located within and outside of the district’s boundaries. Our programs are designed to feed into the district’s athletic programs.
Are there other ways kids can become involved in your program?
Yes! We offer a youth umpire program for SBMSA junior baseball. This three-month job commitment is open to students starting in seventh grade. Not only does the program provide a small paycheck, but it also gives them the opportunity to take on responsibility outside the classroom by learning to balance schoolwork with activities and to gain experience interacting with adults, both as an employee and as a decision-making game official.
For more information on SBMSA or to learn how you can become a volunteer, visit www.sbmsa.org.
