Lunchtime at Fort Miller Middle School in Fresno comes with a sense of urgency these days as dozens of students rush through their meals, eager to throw on jerseys and head outside to play basketball on the blacktop.
Three months in, the lunch sports program, with coaching from High Performance Academy, is actively engaging teens, teaching them teamwork and “giving them something to look forward to,” Principal Eugene Reinor said.
“For 30 minutes, they’re locked in and they’re playing. They’re not thinking about anything else but basketball in that moment,” he said…