Hoops Sagrado

07/17/2026

Quick update on Day One of Hoops Sagrado:

We kicked things off by meeting all of the directors at our newest partner school, Chuitziribal. The school’s director, Flora, was a student in one of our very first camps back in 1999. Seeing her now leading her own school is one of those full-circle moments that reminds us why we do this.

We were welcomed with speeches, traditional dances, and an incredible chicken lunch before piling into pickup trucks and heading out to our five other schools: Xejuyup, Chuisuc, Colegio Maya, Xecam, and Chirijquiac for the first day of basketball camps.

After camp, we traveled to Cancha de Los Alisos—the court we repainted last year—for three evening games.

🏀 Our women’s team—a mix of Hoops Sagrado veterans, local veterans, and first-time players—put on a clinic, cruising to a 56–31 victory.

🏀 The boys played an outstanding game, except for one five-minute stretch in the third quarter when the wheels came off. They battled all the way back but came up just short, 79–75.

🏀 Then came the men’s game. In classic “Welcome to Cantel, gringos” fashion, what looked like a victory with 20 seconds left turned into heartbreak after a questionable foul on a three-point attempt with one second remaining. Final score: 57–56. Congratulations to Los Adictos on the win.

And just to make sure the day wasn’t too ordinary…

This morning we were awakened by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake centered off the coast of Mexico, which was felt here in western Guatemala.

So, all in all… a pretty quiet, uneventful first day.

Hoops Sagrado is officially underway. 💙🏀

09/02/2025

One of the things that makes Hoops Sagrado unforgettable is stepping onto dusty courts in Guatemalan towns where the whole community shows up. In San Cristóbal, Totonicapán, we had folks from the Stellar Development Foundation jump right in—not just watching, but lacing up and playing. In the western highlands, the sun beats down hard all afternoon, but when night falls in the mountains, the cold cuts sharp. You break out long sleeves for the late game, breath hanging in the air as the ball keeps moving. Rivalries heat up, but so do friendships. You’ve got indigenous Mayans, African-Americans, and white Americans on the same team, sweating it out, trash talking, laughing. For a couple of hours, none of the usual borders matter. Basketball cuts through race, language, culture—it’s raw, it’s real, and it’s magic.

With Stellar and The Beans App (Wallet) behind us, we can keep these tournaments alive, keep the games going, and keep building something bigger—especially for women who are carving out their own space on the court.

05/06/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AVE5zgcrz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

To honor 25 years of Hoops Sagrado, we’re re-releasing our original design from the early days — reimagined with powerful new artwork by two incredible members of our extended family: Aniekan Udofia – Hoops Sagrado alum and acclaimed visual artist Dionna Dorsey – Entrepreneur, founder, speak...

05/06/2025

https://www.zeffy.com/fundraising/ambassadors-of-the-playground-empower-dc-and-guatemaya-youth-through-basketball

🌟 Join us in Creating Change! 🌟For 25 years, Hoops Sagrado has been a guiding light in the highlands of Guatemala, where DC and indigenous youth come together on basketball courts, forming a community of unlikely allies. These courts are where kinship blossoms, hope flourishes, and your genero...

03/13/2025

The Hoops Sagrado family had an incredible spring filled with basketball championships and senior nights. New generations are stepping onto the court, and I couldn't be prouder of my wonderfully unique family of misfit toys. Plus, with all eyes on GuateMAYA this summer, there's even more excitement in the air! Bryan Weaver

02/08/2025

01/25/2025