Height may be an advantage, but this young player proved he's got game Photo Tod Fierner, Lamorinda Weekly

Last week basketball became bigger than just a game. When ten super athletes pound up and down the court as part of an Ozone Night, an event put together by Saint Mary’s College (SMC) and the Hayward Youth Academy (HYA), the business of putting a ball in a hoop is no longer just a game. It’s a chance for a child to dream, for a parent to hope, and for a community to lift its collective chin with pride.

Chris Major, President of HYA, is the human power pack behind the operation. Buzzing with energy, Major has gathered a mesmerizing group of individual and corporate sponsors to bring sports to kids and kids to the college. He’s an ’83 graduate, leaving SMC with not only a degree, but with a refined sense of civic responsibility.  The purpose of HYA is definitely multifaceted, but one word says it all: opportunity. In addition to a long list of outreach and support services, the nonprofit organization pairs Gaels star athletes with youth, ages 8-15, from the Bay area.

This year, that star is center Omar Samhan. Samhan is proof that a player can be much more than just a player. “He’s as genuine as there is,” Major says, explaining the instant rapport Samhan has had with the HYA children. Not exactly a top student upon entry, Samhan has worked hard both on and off the court. “Saint Mary’s really took a chance on a kid who had that inspired wonder in him,” Major says.

“He’d play at 6:30 in the morning with us old guys,” adds A. J. Rollins, a SMC alumnus and former player attending the HYA event. “He came in ready to work and now it’s paying off.” Rollins and Major are invested in Samhan; the personal connection is clear, tight, like a family.

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