UTRGV ATHLETICS COURTESY PHOTO
The Vaqueros Men’s Basketball Team rallied up the Valley by hosting its first open practice event Oct. 5 for the start of the season at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on the Edinburg campus.
Aside from the open practice, the event included meet-and-greets with players, free food and autographs. Giving the basketball program an opportunity to build relationships with UTRGV students.
The men’s basketball team has begun a change in its goals, focusing on becoming more recognizable to UTRGV students and increasing interaction with them.
This movement, influenced by head coach Brandon Chambers, includes initiatives to involve the Vaqueros in student events and to increase student involvement throughout the basketball season.
One way coach Chambers pushed this student engagement with the basketball team was by buying $500 worth of coffee for both Edinburg and Brownsville students while also spending time with them on Sept. 10 at each campus.
Chambers said in a news conference video by UTRGV Athletics, the two main elements of the movement are the players and the students. These two reasons are a driving force in the program’s health, with the students being the heart of the program.
“There were some events on campus, like the FSL Kickback, The Stomp, different things like, that spurred the idea into existence. … So, as soon as I heard [about the open practice event,] I was like, absolutely,” Chambers said.“We talk about Rally The Valley and how UTRGV is the heartbeat of the community. Well, the student population here is the heartbeat of our program.”
UTRGV ATHLETICS COURTESY PHOTO
For Chambers, the open practice is only the beginning of continued interaction between the men’s basketball team and students.
While holding back tears during the press conference, he said how much he feels blessed to be in the position he is now as a coach, but also how this whole movement roots from a personal obstacle in his life, and career, with an authentic focus on having the men’s basketball team create a connection with the students.
“Everything we do is for you guys. … I’ve been told ‘no’ a lot throughout my career and life too, you know, at 17 I was homeless, kicked out of school … that’s why I do what I do, I have this chip on my shoulder,” Chambers said. “But after two, three months, we’re doing this recruiting piece, and there’s days where I leave the office and I’m just in tears because I am just so blessed. … So, I am talking to a recruit and I’m like, this is the first time in my career where I want to win for the people around me, more than myself.”
During the news conference video by UTRGV Athletics, redshirt senior guard Always Wright and senior guard B.B. Knight said the open practice was something exciting to do for the students and they have already begun interacting with students to become a familiar face on campus.
“We have little events, where we go to the Student Union, The Stomp, hand out flyers making sure everybody sees, make sure they see our personalities, and I think seeing that is great,” Wright said. “I think it’s huge, really for the students, and even the community to be able to connect with us, like off the court, so they really know you as a person before they go and watch you play.”
Criminal Justice freshman Damien Garza who was watching the open practice said this event gives him inspiration from the players, and how this event is a way to bring exposure to students interested in basketball.
“I’ve loved basketball since I was a little kid, and I see these guys on UTRGV media, and I don’t know, something about them inspires me, like, maybe I can be part of the team someday,” said Garza. “This gives people a chance to look at what people can do, I mean see the chance they have in life too. Like many people who want to grow up and become basketball players, or want to commit to UTRGV, and play for the UTRGV”.
The Men’s Basketball Team will have their season opener at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 2 against Texas A&M-Kingsville at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Edinburg campus.
