After-school sports programs bring free fun for Inland Empire students
A $130,000 grant is paying for the initiative that lets kids play basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports.
Black News 
The basketball soaring toward a hoop at a Rialto school was a sign of more than an ordinary pickup game.
It was part of a big after-school program that’s giving more than 3,000 students at 39 Inland Empire middle schools a free chance to play.
A $130,000 grant from the nonprofit Think Together and the LA84 Foundation is paying for the program, which plays out across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, a news release states.
In addition to basketball, the initiative makes possible free competitive sports such as soccer, flag football and volleyball throughout the school year, according to the release.
On Tuesday, March 3, students at Frisbie Middle School got a coach’s tips about basketball before taking to the court.
After-school sports sessions run in 10-week rotations and are offered four days a week. Each season ends with inter-school games and regional Saturday tournaments, the release states.
“We’re supporting the whole child by helping them develop their physical, social and emotional development both on and off the field,” Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth said in the release.
