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Having The Y And Wherefore To Help

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By KENNETH KNIGHT

kknight@tampatrib.com

Published: January 7, 2009

NEW TAMPA - Kathleen Poblete and Haafiz Hemani have taken part in sporting events and activities at the New Tampa YMCA almost all of their lives.

It's where they go to swim, train and learn from adults interested in helping them to succeed.

Now, Poblete and Hemani, both 17-year-old high school seniors, are ready to give back to help others.

"I've always liked the Y," said Poblete, who lives in Hunter's Green. "When I think of service agencies I would want to volunteer for, I think of the Y. It's where I went for swimming and gymnastics camps."

The high school students were among nine volunteers from the New Tampa YMCA on Compton Drive to donate time at the second annual McDonald's Tampa Hoops Classic Basketball Tournament presented by Regions Bank, Dec. 26-27 and 29-30.

The high school boys' basketball tournament attracts powerhouse teams and outstanding players from across the country to Tampa during the holiday break to play some of Florida's best teams. Berkeley Preparatory School and King and Sickles High were among the local teams represented in this year's event.

The 16-team tournament kicked off the day after Christmas at Plant and Jefferson High in south Tampa then moved to the Sun Dome at the University of South Florida for the final two days of competition.

The YMCA staffed more than 30 people each day to operate the venues, said Troy Fowler, a veteran Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA board member involved with coordinating the basketball tournament.

While many of their friends were having fun at the mall, Poblete and Hemani were on the clock. They worked with the tournament organizers to make sure the event was a success.

They collected game tickets and assisted in the referee's hospitality lounge. They served as courtside monitors and helped the players and coaches get from one location to the next, said Jay Lippy, chaplain at the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA and the basketball tournament volunteer coordinator.
Poblete said she had a blast.

"It's fun. I've met a lot of people," said Poblete, a senior at Berean Academy in Lutz. "Anything to do with sports, there is a lot of passion, and it's fun to watch."

The experience allowed Hemani, a Middleton High senior, time away from his studies.

"If I wasn't here, I would probably be at home studying online," he said.

Fowler said YMCA continues to grow because of the volunteers it attracts.

"For me, it's character building," Fowler said. "It equips children with developmental assets they need through life: perseverance, being respectful, learning the value of teamwork and integrity."

The volunteers hope their efforts will pay off.

Hemani, who lives in Pebble Creek, is trying to earn the 75 volunteer hours needed to qualify for the Bright Futures scholarship, which covers tuition and fees for qualified Florida students. He would like to study engineering at Georgia Tech University but would enroll at an in-state school if he gets a scholarship.
Poblete needs volunteer hours to graduate high school. Berean Academy requires its students to complete 80 hours of community service before graduation.

Poblete, who has earned the bulk of her volunteer hours in the past year, said the experience has been rewarding.

In the past she worked with hurricane relief, but she didn't record the hours so they didn't count, said Poblete, who would like to study architecture at the University of Florida.

This year, Poblete also donated time at Metropolitan Ministries' Holiday Donation Drop-off Center at St. James United Methodist Church on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

"This is the busiest Christmas break I've had because of all the volunteering," Poblete said, "but it's been one of my best Christmas breaks."

Reporter Kenneth Knight can be reached at (813) 865-4842.

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