More than Basketball: Our visit to Crossover Basketball Ambassadors (CBA)

Sometimes, a simple conversation can open the door to something much bigger.

A few weeks ago, the CBA group reached out to us by email to tell us about the work they are doing with young people in their community. We spoke over the phone, and as she shared more about them, we became increasingly interested in seeing the work for ourselves.

Crossover Basketball Ambassadors was started in 2023 by Coach and Founder, Daniel Omondi. What started with just a few children coming together to play basketball has grown into a community of around 200 registered children.

But CBA is about much more than basketball, for many of these children, sport has become a positive after school activity, something that keeps them engaged, gives them a community, and provides a productive way to spend their time, especially during school holidays and receive scholarships from well-wishers. Every holiday, CBA organises tournaments where the children come together to play, compete and, most importantly, have fun.

Speaking to Coach Daniel, we loved hearing how organically it all started. He began by simply helping children through sports days and organising games over the weekends, even playing on Sundays. At the time, he didn't know that this small effort would grow into the community it is today.

Today, the programme has even expanded beyond basketball. CBA has a football court in Kawangware, built and donated to the community by a well-wisher. As Daniel put it, it was built for the community and handed over to the community.

That spirit of community is what really stayed with us.

Fueling the Game

When we planned our visit, we wanted to do something simple but meaningful. We decided to attend one of their big tournament days and fuel the young players with our Grove & Meadow snack bars.

After an energetic day of playing, we handed out the bars as a little reward. The excitement from the kids was infectious. It was such a simple gesture, but seeing their faces light up reminded us that sometimes it really is the small things that matter.

And while we were there, we also had the chance to meet someone who particularly impressed us, Alice Njeri.

Alice is a young woman currently studying Hospitality Management, and CBA has played an important role in her journey. Having grown through the programme herself, she now serves as a coach and the Communications Director for CBA.

Meeting Alice was a lovely reminder of what these kinds of community programmes can create. They don't just give young people something to do today, they can help build confidence, skills, friendships and opportunities that stay with them as they grow.

We Want to Keep Showing Up

Our visit to CBA was more than simply delivering snack bars. It gave us the opportunity to see the community, meet the people behind the programme and understand why the work matters.

We are excited to announce that Grove & Meadow plans to become a CBA partner moving forward. We look forward to supporting more of their tournaments, activities and initiatives and, hopefully, finding more ways to contribute to the young people they serve.

We believe food, health and community are deeply connected. For us, supporting initiatives like CBA is part of creating healthier, stronger communities, one small action at a time.

We appreciate the CBA community for allowing us to be part of their day and for the work they continue to do.

And to everyone reading this: if you would like to support Crossover Basketball Ambassadors in any way, whether through sponsorship, resources, equipment or simply helping spread the word, you can reach out to us or directly to CBA at alice@crossoverambassadors.com

We hope to see more people get behind this incredible initiative.

Author: Edel Radido | Resident Nutritionist