Emily Alvarez, right, is not old enough to play on her sister?s AAU basketball team, but that does not stop her from having fun in practice with Lupita Vargas. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman

Tom Cole encourages the girls on his Kids Unlimited basketball team to push themselves in a series of training exercises.

"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" says Cole, clapping his hands.

As the dozen seventh- and eighth-grade girls race the length of the court, it is a piston-legged fourth-grader who keeps crossing the finish line first.

"Wow," says Cole, Kids Unlimited's director, shaking his head in amazement at the tiny 10-year-old. "Wow."

Emily Alvarez grins after leading older sister Jasmine's team in their windsprints, and looks to the sidelines for approval from her family. She gets it.

"That is my daughter," says Sandy Alvarez, proudly. "She plays basketball, too. And she likes to sing and dance. She is not shy."

Alvarez then points out the rest of her family — her husband, son and three other daughters. Husband, Jesus, is keeping a watchful eye on his children while manning Sacred Heart School’s gymnasium door. Clearly, for the Alvarezes, sports are a family affair.

"We spend our time as a whole family," says Jesus. "Our kids are very interested in sports. They don’t like videos or parties or television."

The Kids Unlimited basketball program is providing an outlet for the Alvarez family and other Hispanic families that otherwise might find it difficult to connect with youth sports programs.

Cole says the level of participation displayed by the Alvarez family is an anomaly. Deep-seated cultural and gender biases combine with language barriers and economic challenges to make participating in sports difficult for many young Hispanic females, Cole says.

"We are changing the cultural norm," says Cole.

The traditional cultural norm is more pronounced among the adults than with the kids, who are quick to jump into sports activities.

Cole says he understands that many parents are working two or three jobs to make ends meet. But he wishes more would come to cheer at their daughters’ on — at least once.

"Most parents are pretty supportive," says Cole. "But they can’t be here to support their kids most of the time."

Jesus agrees, saying he and his wife are often the only parents attending practices.

"I support my kids all the way," says Jesus. "If I don’t come to even one game, they get mad."

Jasmine has been playing with Kids Unlimited for two years. Initially a self-admitted "horrible player," Jasmine says Cole’s coaching and her own discovery of her inner athlete has helped on the basketball court — and in the school room.

"I like competition because I like to win everything," says Jasmine. "My favorite subjects are math and science. I’m really good at it. I get all A-pluses."

Cole says for many Hispanic youths — girls in particular — after-school sports leagues provide an opportunity to fit in and to define their individual strengths.

The Kids Unlimited seventh- and eighth-grade girls basketball teams are in the most competitive local Amateur Athletic Union league, Cole says. They play against teams in other Southern Oregon communities — and they have a winning record, he notes.

"And one-third of them are actually sixth-graders who are playing up (into the next level)," he says.

Sports skills often translate into a place on school teams — and another way to fit in and stay in school, Cole says. All of the kids in his program must be involved in the Kids Unlimited after-school program, which monitors their homework as well as general well-being, he says.

"These are students with self-esteem and a 3.0 (grade-point average) or higher," says Cole.

Jesus says Cole helps make the evenings family friendly. Allowing Emily to warm up with the older girls is good for her game and self-esteem, he says.

"He’s a good coach," says Jesus. "They discover sports are good for them."

As the parents continue to watch, the rest of the Alvarez kids play at courtside with the team’s extra balls. Even 4-year-old Ibixica dribbles a basketball the size of her torso in perfect cadence with her jumps of joy.

"She’s good. Yes?" says Sandy.

For more information about Kids Unlimited programs, call 774-3900.

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