E-Hoops SF

E-Hoops (Exceptional Children Basketball) is an all-volunteer, inclusive basketball program where typical and special needs children aged 5 and up participate alongside each other in an inclusive environment. We are dedicated to empowering children of all abilities to reach their full social and athletic potential, while making invaluable relationship connections. E-Hoop’s inclusion methodology promotes leadership as well as social, character, and athletic development for each child in an individualized manner. Children are taught to learn from one another in an inclusive environment. It is also our philosophy that building inner character traits such as patience, perseverance, selflessness, courage, and commitment are more important to the developing athlete than simply teaching the motor skills and game knowledge for a sport. To this aim, it is beneficial for all children to be trained in an environment where there are a wide array of strengths and challenges. We aim to build an environment where effort and cooperation are valued over simply skill performance and personal success. The child who is considered a “winner” is the one who strives to make the group successful and not just themselves. Experience has already shown that typical developing children can learn gratitude when they see the perseverance and commitment it takes for a child with unique challenges to make the gains they often take for granted. We all have a “special need” of some type, and working with children who face some difficult challenges can make us have to face our own. This is the uniqueness of our E-Hoops program; it is character building for all of us.