Crossover Basketball and Scholars Academy

Crossover Basketball and Scholars Academy 3 Years of Crossover Academy: Reflecting on Change By Kasey Hartung Now that I am finally back in my “home away from home” for year three of Crossover Academy, I can’t help but notice the differences from year one and...
3 Years of Crossover Academy: Reflecting on Change

3 Years of Crossover Academy: Reflecting on Change

By Kasey Hartung Now that I am finally back in my “home away from home” for year three of Crossover Academy, I can’t help but notice the differences from year one and appreciate the things that have stayed the same in Chennai. The hot air and heavy humidity still...
Beyond the Ball: The 4 Pillars of Crossover Education

Beyond the Ball: The 4 Pillars of Crossover Education

By: Kelly Mara Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education. – Martin Luther King, Jr.  As much as I enjoy the game of basketball, I probably would have opted out of a volunteer opportunity to travel across the globe to Chennai, India in July (the...
Breaking Barriers, Making An Impact

Breaking Barriers, Making An Impact

By RJ Paige I’ve never had so much fun while also having so much to do. These kids were great. So happy and eager to please everyone, trying to put a smile on our faces. It made me want to please them – they could not have made me happier! It was hectic from the first...
A Lifechanging Experience With Crossover

A Lifechanging Experience With Crossover

By AJ Matthew Excitement roars throughout the roof as I am finally headed back to India after so many years. Words cannot explain the excitement that was built up for this trip. With our brief layover in Dubai, the thrill kept screeching in my body as time went past....

Crossover Basketball and Scholars Academy

By Maggie Brown Seemingly without warning, the oppressive humidity of the blazing afternoon sun began to unravel across the vast Chennai skies, welcoming a herd of ominous clouds into the atmosphere so dark that the dusk of early evening suddenly distorted into the...
Second Time’s A Charm

Second Time’s A Charm

By Anjali Ramakrishnan Doing something a second time has several mentalities. Things are always easier when you have gained experience. And you’re bound to learn something you never thought would come up. However, it does not mean the second time will be perfect. I...
The Root of Success

The Root of Success

By Anjali Ramakrishnan When I thought about the Hoops Creating Hope program in the months leading up to this summer, I imagined I would be helping to educate marginalized children in Chennai using basketball as an educational tool. And it turns out that’s exactly what...
An Unexpected Education

An Unexpected Education

By Kiran Shastri Week one in Chennai with team crossover has concluded. The weekend relaxation was much needed to refuel our minds and bodies for another full week with these amazing and energetic kids. Week one tested every aspect possible for us – the heat, the long...

What it Means to Create Hope

By AJ Mathew Hope – a universal symbol of a desire for something or a certain thing to happen. I believe Crossover intentionally uses the term “Creating Hope” because that is our goal with the kids and communities we will be working with. Creating Hope amongst...
The Mutual Impact of Giving

The Mutual Impact of Giving

By AJ Matthew I had no idea what to expect on the first day of camp, but when I saw the first group of kids walk in with smiles on their faces I knew it was going to be phenomenal. The passion in their hearts…some of them didn’t even know what basketball was, but they...
The First Day

The First Day

By Shilpa Agrawal Akka*, where do you go home? (Akka means “older sister” in Tamil). I live in America. Akka, what do you eat at home? Idlis, dosas, curd. Really? Are you Indian? At 3:45pm more than 300 children started streaming in, some wearing shoes, some wearing...

Tag Archives: #Communication

The First Day By Shilpa Agrawal Akka*, where do you go home? (Akka means “older sister” in Tamil). I live in America. Akka, what do you eat at home? Idlis, dosas, curd. Really? Are you Indian? Yes!  The Mind Game By: Kaustubh Garimella. Kaustubh is a sophomore at...

Category Archives: Academic Notes

Visiting Teach For India By Maggie Brown (@MagsOnWags) The eager anticipation began to rise rapidly among our group of foreign travelers as the rickety school bus climbed through the bumpy dirt roads smushed between rows of cracked concrete storefronts, woven straw...

Category Archives: Events

Recap of Crossover Sport in Education Conference By Lauren Ball None of us knew what to expect on Saturday.  We didn’t know who all was going to show up,  how many people we were going to have, or how the speeches were going to be received.There was … Continue reading...
Discovering India

Discovering India

By Mollie Gillespie With our departure for India less than a month away, I’m already restless with anticipation. I’ve traveled a bit before, but never so far, and I can’t help but wonder how I’ll be able to endure the long plane rides as I’m sure my excitement, and my...

Excited For This Opportunity

By Lauren Ball Twenty one more days until I board a plane to Boston, where my adventure with Crossover Basketball and Scholars Academy begins. I first heard about this organization in August of 2013 after I had just returned from studying abroad in northern India....
Learning Just As Much As The Kids

Learning Just As Much As The Kids

By Varun Ram Varun working on ball handling on the grass As we head into week two of Crossover India basketball camp, I wanted to share four thoughts about our trip. First, let’s talk about the adjustment to living in Chennai. The bustling streets of Chennai rival...
More Than Statistics…

More Than Statistics…

By John Gillespie (@JohnG703) I’m bringing back to the United States the stories of many different kids from numerous different religious, financial, and educational backgrounds. These stories I put together through interacting with these kids for only two weeks have...

Tag Archives: attitude

What I’m Bringing Home By Jon Metzgar (@JonnyMet1) On Day One of my journey to Chennai, I wrote about what I was leaving behind in order to come here for two weeks. Now, on my last day before the flight home to Boston, I’m … Continue reading →