The partnership between DHNS Youth Association and FWPAL was recently featured in the Star-Telegram.
At the Diamond Hill Northside Youth Association’s basketball practice, Adrian and the other 150 players regularly interact with police officers who patrol the area.
Officers warm up with the kids, give them tips on how to play better, cheer them on or talk to parents on the sidelines. The youth association’s president, Roxanne Martinez, welcomed a partnership between the organization and the Fort Worth Police Athletic League, the police department’s program that encourages mentorship through sports.
Nestor Martinez, the police athletic league’s lead coordinator, said police hope to showcase the profession in a positive way, build meaningful relationships and encourage kids to want to become officers themselves. The police athletic league has programs across the city with a range of sports like flag football and boxing.
“For the kids, I think it gives them a more of a personal feel for the officers that shows them that they’re not just a uniform out in the public enforcing laws, they’re actually people that think and care about the community and care about their well being,” he said.