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Through NIL deals, Ohio State basketball players give back to local kids
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- Through NIL deals, Ohio State basketball players give back to local kids
"Step up, boy!"
The words were as much a command as a challenge. Positioned along the left baseline in the corner of the main court at Value City Arena, Ohio State sophomore center Austin Parks is being called out. Staring him down is a high school kid whose confidence belies the significant physical disadvantage he faces while sizing up the 6-10, 260-pound Buckeye.
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The boy in question, clad in blue shirt and gray sweatpants with a stocking cap on his head, was determined to make the most of his opportunity. Not only was it a first chance for him to put up shots on Ohio State's home court, but it marked the first visit to a practice by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio. On this Wednesday, 21 middle and high schoolers spent about two hours taking a guided tour of the facilities, watching the tail end of a practice and then mingling with the 2024-25 team on the court.
Ohio State's Aaron Bradshaw talks with a kid while at Lifetown Columbus as part of a volunteering event put together by THE Foundation on Oct. 15, 2024.
The event followed a Tuesday appearance for five players at LifeTown Columbus , where the Buckeyes spent about an hour hanging with special-needs children in a mock city environment. Both encounters were put together through partnerships between the organizations, Ohio State and the primary collective serving both the men's basketball and football programs: THE Foundation.
"We support the student-athletes and then they give back to the community so it's not just, 'Here's a check, go play well,' " THE Foundation board member and co-founder Brian Schottenstein said. "They're still learning a lot about giving back to the community."
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While at LifeTown, Aaron Bradshaw, Ques Glover , Meechie Johnson Jr., Micah Parrish and Sean Stewart spent time with roughly 60 kids from Columbus City Schools. The simulated city, which annually teaches essential life skills to more than 2,000 students annually, is one of only three such places in the world.
"When they see you, they see hope," rabbi Areyah Kaltmann told the players. "We just want to give these kids a chance to reach their full potential."
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Bradshaw in particular ingratiated himself to the students. After getting a tour and the lay of the simulated city, he headed to the art studio, sat next to a young girl in a hijab and grabbed crayons from a bucket to color a paper as part of a fall-themed craft. Ohio State NIL/community relations coordinator Nick Kellogg followed suit, as did Stewart. Emerging from the art studio, ducking to get his 7-1 frame through the doorway, Bradshaw walked away from the bustle of the entryway to the back of the village.
Ohio State's Aaron Bradshaw hugs a little girl while spending time at Lifetown Columbus as part of an partnership between the program, the team and THE Foundation collective on Oct. 15, 2024.
Two wheelchair-bound children sat there with their helpers as Bradshaw walked right up to them, engaged with both and spent a few minutes interacting with them while establishing a genuine connection. Then it was to the Fit For Life Medical Center, where he folded his frame into one of four chairs and watched three students open a box that would show them something special inside. When they opened it, a mirror reflected their joyous faces as Bradshaw smiled along.
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Bradshaw knew no stranger, stooping over at one point and enveloping a bespectacled little girl in a warm hug as she ran, unprompted, to embrace him. Moments later, Bradshaw cited that as his favorite moment of the day.
"When that little girl hugged me, that touched my heart a little bit," he said. "Knowing I've got that impact and knowing a smile can make a kid's day makes me cry a little bit."
Stewart cited his favorite moments as the visit to the pet store, where kids got to interact with a turtle, and the movie theater. He also found himself pressed into impromptu traffic cop duty, instructing a child on a bike to wait for a red light to change.
It didn't work. The kid rode through the red light anyway, smiling as Stewart jokingly protested while he pedaled away.
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"I didn't know how long the red light was taking and he was getting impatient, so I had to let him go," Stewart said. "It means a lot to help these kids and give back to the community."
Ohio State's Nick Kellogg shows the men's basketball program's players' lounge to a group of kids from the Boys & Girls Club while on a visit to Value City Arena on Oct. 16, 2024.
The next day, 25 kids from the Milo-Grogan location arrived in the northwest rotunda of Ohio State's home arena to begin a guided tour. Heading down the Evan Turner Hallway that showcases the program's history, pictures of D'Angelo Russell and the massive wall of Nike-issued shoes were particular fan favorites. Kids outstretched their hands on the silver basketballs protruding from the wall commemorating the program's all-American selections across the years, and when they popped their heads into the weight room to see the women's team working out they were met with waves and smiles.
There's an impromptu photo session in the locker room, where most kids nabbed selfies and called out the names of the players above their lockers before, finally, making their way to the main court to see the final moments of practice. After the last whistle, posters are procured and the team signed autographs for anyone who wants them. One kid, wearing a green Boys & Girls Clubs T-shirt, took the court with his own basketball, headed to the 3-point line and started getting shots up with Parrish.
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At the other end, the same kid who challenged Parks lined up to defend him in the corner. With a mischievous smile, Bradshaw snuck up behind him and set a soft screen, allowing Parks to glide into the paint for an easy dunk as the kids howled in laughter.
So it went for more than half an hour, players mingling with kids as the Buckeyes gradually made their way to the locker room and post-practice cooldowns. Their time together was over, but the two days left an impression.
"Regardless of who you is, you've always got a shot to be a friend in my heart," Bradshaw said at Lifetown. "I feel like when I seen the kids faces and I saw them smiling, it made me want to talk to them more. They're so adorable, bro. These kids are amazing."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State basketball team spends time with area kids through NIL deal
