Our first all-girls basketball team started playing together in 2018, beginning an exciting and unforeseen trend in a community where girls have rarely been encouraged in sports. In 2021, our U-12, U-14, and U-15 girls’ basketball teams all made it to the national championships, with our U-15 team winning second place this year. A selection of our best players were also invited to participate in the national U-30 championship and won third place playing against teams of players 10+ years older than themselves! Nine of our girls – all younger than 18 – who learned to play in Champions are now also playing on professional or semi-professional teams in Nicaragua.

Our boys U-14 and U-15 teams both won second place in the national championships in 2020. In 2021, a selection of our best players were invited to participate in the national U-30 championship and, although all of our players were under 20 years old, they won first place against teams of players in their 20s!

Participation in Champions continues to be free to members of the community. We have consistent participation of about 200-250 children and youth in the various age categories’ weekly practices and games. About 100 of these visit our office/community center each week for Bible studies.

In 2020, we had to temporarily discontinue weekly practices during the heavy first wave of COVID-19 and instead provided basic food supplies and necessities to families experiencing exacerbated financial hardship during that time.