Welcome to the online home of Unity Hoops Basketball

OUR MISSION is to use basketball as a common language to build healing relationships with and among Crow Native American youth, to instill within them a greater sense of control of destiny, and to empower them to create a more just and sustainable future for their people. 
Watch and understand our sport's potency as a tool for healing and empowerment on the Rez.

In our youth empowerment programs we integrate basketball with a social justice-centered educational curriculum that is relevant to our students' lives. We work on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, an area of extreme poverty created by centuries of historical trauma, and with a great love for basketball. To learn more about us and our summer programs please read Our Story.  

2012 Unity Hoops Sessions Completed!

Students and Staff from Unity Hoops Session 1 
(July 9-20, 2012)
Students make commitments to 
support their community 
Crow Agency, MT (August 3, 2012) - With a staff of 13 consisting of both Crow tribal members and non-native adults and college students, Unity Hoops Basketball provided 4 weeks (two 2-week sessions) of basketball-centered youth empowerment programs to a total of 151 young people ages 9-15. Here, basketball was used as a vehicle to teach all about the amazing things that we can do when we work together. We also went beyond basketball and integrated the game with educational content centered in social justice.  Students learned to set goals, and began to understand their own abilities to create positive change in their community.  As our program went on, we quickly learned that the most valuable aspect about our experience together was the creation of healing and meaningful relationships between students and staff, and among students themselves. Students learned to use one another as a support system to navigate many of the unique and severe challenges that are constant in reservation life, and staff members grew tremendously as they worked to facilitate this learning.  It was an unforgettable experience that gave us all a newfound sense of hope.  

A Few Testimonials from 2012

"Unity Hoops has affected a generation of kids in a way no one else ever does here." 
- Susan, Crow Community Member

“Man I love this camp.  It’s the best camp ever.  Never give up, always 
encourage your teammates and always keep your head up high.”  
– Terrel, Age 11, 2012 Unity Hoops Graduate

“I’ve never seen Landin so excited to wake up in the morning to go out to do something.”  
– Brianna, Mother of a Unity Hoops Grad

“We live out of town.  It’s probably 50 miles to come into town.  Some days I couldn’t come in. 
He wanted to make it every day and would find rides to get into town. This week he stayed with his grandmother in Crow. He chose to stay for the camp and benefitted from it a lot. I appreciate all the things you guys are doing. If it wasn’t for you guys they wouldn’t have a place to go.”  
- Pat Alden, Father of a Unity Hoops Grad

"I loved it. I went up there and watched.  I thought it was fantastic, the encouragement you 
give to kids and everything. I’d recommend anyone to go there.  You taught them some great 
things about teamwork. I hope you guys come again next year."   
- Nancy Old Elk, Mother of a Unity Hoops Grad 

"It’s very rare that we have an outside group come on to the reservation and do a children-focused group like this.  He made friends out of it and he lost weight actually… I hope you guys keep going every summer.  Bless your heart for putting this on for all of our Rez children.  There are so many who are just out smoking.  I’m so thankful for the program you guys do.”  
- Lacy Head, Mother of a Unity Hoops Grad

"I really thank the lord that you guys are all here.  You guys open your time 
and your hearts to these kids…"  - Mother of a Unity Hoops Grad
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Contact Us at 301.787.5066 or unityhoops@gmail.com