The Selma Times-Journal

Basketball can be used as a metaphor for real life. It can also be used to teach kids about real life.

Forty Selma children currently participate in the Selma PAL Summer Youth Enrichment Program. Several, such as Dexter Hatcher, Cortland Herring and Jonathan Pettway, are drawn in through basketball, but learn to survive in life.

Most of them do not acknowledge the latter reason.

Though Herring and others participate for basketball, they learn more than they realize.

Participants arrive at 10 a.m. and begin each day with a prevention program. Following lunch, they participate in an educational program. Both programs are part of a series called &8220;team talk.&8221;

The kids’ focus &045; three hours of recreational/basketball time &045; begins at 2 p.m. The basketball players practice for the Maxeyball 3-on-3 tournament. These players aren’t to be confused with the PAL team that recently placed second at the National PAL basketball championships in Hampton, Va.

However, that team’s success has brought more interest to the PAL Center.