- KELSEYVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
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Kelseyville High School student represents community at Native American conference
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — On March 17 and 18, Kelseyville High School student Diego Lopez joined other Native American basketball players from Lake County to represent their communities in the 21st annual American Indian Youth Conference and Basketball Tournament at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The event is one of many such events nationwide that allow Native American boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18 to come together to share their love of sports while learning about each other’s cultural experiences and being exposed to different regions of the country.
“These tournaments expose our Lake County youth to city life,” said Kelseyville High Native American Club Advisor Katie Ray. “They have the experience of walking around college campuses and seeing what they’re up against, what it would be like to be on their own. They also get a feel for what it would be like to play [basketball] at a collegiate level.”
Lopez agreed and said he was certainly more interested in attending UCLA after touring the campus, attending conference workshops, and playing basketball there.
He was surprised and pleased to find that UCLA has resources to help Native American students with their studies and some of the other challenges associated with higher education.
Lopez and his teammates came together thanks to Kristin Amparo, education director and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Big Valley Rancheria, and advisor to the Native American Club at Clearlake High School.
“Our children shouldn’t miss out on opportunities because no one is willing to step up and take on the challenge of helping them,” Amparo said. “Every child deserves an opportunity, but it is up to them as an individual to accept the challenge. All I want to do is provide an opportunity for our children to have a chance to change their lives.”
Amparo offered to coach the basketball team and identified tournaments for them to play in.
“Our basketball program started a year ago with four Big Valley youth jumping on an opportunity to be exposed at a collegiate level in Arizona, Diego being one of the four; from there, we grew,” Amparo said. “We were fortunate enough to receive grant funding to keep our program going and have all their trips 100% paid for, including team bonding activities. That’s an opportunity of a lifetime for our kids. It doesn’t come by often and it won’t last forever.”
The players have four more tournaments planned in the months to come, including the Native American Midwest Tournament of Champions in Wichita, Kansas; the Third Annual Native American Nationals in Mesa, Arizona; the NABI Educational Youth Summit and Basketball Invitational in Phoenix, Arizona; and the Indigenous Elite Summer Championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ray explained that there are many ongoing activities for Native youth, noting that “basketball is huge, and so is youth leadership.”
Through these shared experiences, kids from rural and urban backgrounds have an opportunity to discover both shared experiences and how very different growing up on a reservation can be from an urban or suburban setting.
“Having an outlet is crucial, especially to our teens in a county that doesn’t have much for them to do,” Amparo said. “It brings good feeling to my heart knowing that we have a team who is willing to work hard, work together, be leaders, and go after what they want.”
She continued, “Around here, our kids fundraise to go everywhere. In urban areas, kids often have sponsors and scholarships. On the other hand, urban kids are not as connected to their culture as the kids around here. Our youth are rich in culture with lots of big times and gatherings. These aren’t as common in urban settings because of the Relocation Act, when Tribal people were taken from their culture and homelands,” she said.
Lopez said he would recommend that fellow Native American students get involved in these types of youth activities.
Although he is a bit reserved when it comes to meeting new people, he said enjoyed connecting with other students and learning new ideas.
He was happy to represent KHS and Big Valley Rancheria, and said he had fun participating in workshops like learning archery and making homemade ice cream. Mostly, he loved the basketball.
Amparo said, “Diego is one of the leaders on our team. He plays with heart, passion and emotion. He is constantly working to better himself, as both a person and an athlete. It is an honor to help guide our youth into positive light and I’ll do whatever I can to help them achieve their goals.”
Ray said that if anyone is interested in supporting local Native American students, they could consider donating to Big Valley Boys & Girls Club or the Native American Club at Kelseyville High.