While childhood is such a beautiful, imaginative time, growing up isn’t easy. Children are figuring out the world around them and their place in it. It is a time of great change and self-discovery.
Roshenna McHaney (Ro) understands the challenges of growing up in today’s world. She knows the pressures that young women face, especially in this toxic social media culture. However, Ro has a mission to stop the negative cycle and teach young women the value of themselves. She dreamt of a place for girls to feel accepted, loved and wanted. A place that not only breeds self-confidence but teaches teamwork. This is exactly what she created with the Beauty in Basketball program.
Ro faced her own growing pains as a preteen and teenager. She describes feeling out of place as if she didn’t belong anywhere. Ro’s mother regularly traveled for work, so she spent the majority of her time with her grandmother. Her height and long limbs made her feel awkward. Ro was experiencing what so many young people face each and every day. She was searching for herself and her place in the world. Ro found what she had been looking for on the basketball court. It was basketball that made her feel like she belonged.
She describes, “the one thing I thought was the weirdest about myself turned out to be the thing that set me apart. In basketball, I learned to love what made me different”.
Basketball brought her unity and acceptance. Belonging and support are exactly what she wanted to bring to the kids in her community. Having children of her own, Ro has always had a love for youth. She began coaching little league boys basketball and is currently the JV Coach on the Paducah Tilghman Girls team. While she enjoyed giving back to the sport she loved, she realized there was a disconnect. The boys’ program was great, but there was nothing for the girls.
Ro knew what she needed to do. The idea filled her heart and mind; she was going to create a basketball program for young women. This would not be just a workshop to learn the sport, but a program to empower the young girls of this community. She did not know how she was going to make this program happen, but she knew that God would see it through.
Ro stated, “When God places something on your heart, He will give you the resources to make it happen.” She began pitching the idea to her friends and family. Everyone she spoke to was moved by her vision. Her best friend, Andrea Taylor, jumped right on board along with several others. They began making flyers and marketing the idea. Ro is a nuclear engineer in training at Four Rivers Nuclear. She brought the idea to her company, and they were incredibly supportive. Her family rallied around her, donating their time and resources. She secured a location and was ready to begin preparations.
However, they hit a roadblock when the girls they tried to recruit were showing little interest in the program. Ro realized most girls at this age are consumed by their phones and social media. Getting them excited about a sport was going to be challenging. After some creative thought, she decided she could spark their interest and get them involved by promoting giveaways. The program would do regular giveaways, free shirts and provide lunch. She used the promise of fancy self-care products and her persuasive personality to recruit as many girls as she could. She secured the promised items from businesses like Dominos, Dicks Sporting Goods, Sonic, Bath and Body Works, and many more. Beauty in Basketball was born.
The first camp was held in January of 2019 and was a major success. They had 72 girls attend with grade levels ranging between 3rd and 8th. This took 45 volunteers and support from the entire community. Ro was overwhelmed by the positive feedback. Parents reached out, saying how the program transformed their daughters. Girls that had once never looked up from their phones were now spending their days outside playing basketball. The program lifted up these young women and taught them that mistakes are opportunities, not failures. Ro prioritizes making the entire camp a positive experience. She takes time to train the volunteers on how to empower the girls and encourages them to stay energetic the entire day. Ro brings in guest speakers during the camp and even gives motivational speeches herself.
After the powerful impact of the first camp, everyone was excited for the next year. They anticipated an increase in attendance, but nothing could have prepared them for the response. One hundred sixty-two young women and 60 volunteers had their lives touched by the program just before the pandemic hit in 2020. Beauty in Basketball was now reaching so many young people in the community. Ro did not want it to stop after the week ended. She continued supporting the girls throughout the school year. She maintained communication with the parents to ensure the girls in the program felt empowered year-round. They began hosting Christmas time and back-to-school giveaways. Ro reaches out to the young women to be a listening ear. She says, “I want to be the person for them that I once needed.”
Unfortunately, there was no camp held in 2021 due to the pandemic. The camp scheduled for September 2021 had 202 girls registered between kindergarten and 8th grade before they had to postpone it to February. Registration for the February 2022 camp will open at the beginning of January. Ro believes this will be the biggest camp they have hosted so far. She is hoping to bring in even more volunteers and community support.
Ro’s visions don’t stop there. She sees this program expanding all across the country and eventually opening up a camp to boys. She has recently partnered with the Memphis Grizzlies Nike Youth program and secured Tyler Hammond, the Grizzlies youth coordinator, as the guest speaker for the February 2022 camp. Ro has also started a program called Superhero Summit. Having a child on the Autism spectrum, Ro understands the importance of finding an activity they enjoy. She wanted to develop a program to allow children with autism to try out a wide variety of activities on their own time with their parents. This program will be held at the end of March 2022. Kids will be able to try hula-hooping, bowling, jump roping, water games, work with legos, videography, track and field, martial arts, and other individual and social activities in a self-paced, contained environment. The Superhero Summit will provide the freedom and flexibility to introduce kids to their new passion. It will also be a unique and fun experience for parents and their children.
Community support will ensure the continued success and growth of these incredible programs. You can get involved by volunteering, donating, or just spreading the word. Ro is making a real difference in our community. She tells her girls at every camp, “the first step is the hardest, so I am proud of you for taking that first step. Today you found the beauty in basketball; now, continue to find the beauty in everything.” The Paducah community is proud to have a leader like Ro take that first step to change the lives of our young women.
Website: thebeautyinbasketball.com for the February 2022 online registration
Facebook: Beauty in Basketball
Email: roshennamchaney@icloud.com
