Local Coach Helps Send Girls to College

In a five year period, basketball coach Mike Larkin and his Hoops City program has sent countless high school seniors to college on basketball scholorships. Larkin has coached and trained players in the United States, Europe, and the Bahamas, so it's no wonder the Jupiter resident has players from all over Palm Beach County coming to play for him.

Since he started his Hoops City program five years ago, the Jupiter resident has coached local girls ranging from fifth to 12th grade. This year, five more of his players recieved scholorships to play college basketball. Kiandra Bowers, Ayanna Holmes, Samantha Goldis, Elizabeth Bolchoz, and Lauren Janka all signed letters of intent to play college basketball at schools throughout the country.

Larkin was a highly recruited high school point guard in Connecticut growing up and emphasizes fundamentals over winning. His teams train at the North Palm Beach Recreation Center as well as on Juno Beach on Saturday mornings with the help of his volunteer coaches.
 
His program, which is a nonprofit organization has now sent 10 girls to college on scholarship in it’s five years of existence, something that he is proud of, especially since most of the girls come from single parent homes.

“Our five scholarships this year now make 10 in five years,” Larkin told the Palm Beach Post. “That’s $1.8 million in scholarship money. And 80 percent of our girls come from single-parent households.”

For more information on Hoops City, visit their website at www.hoopscityflorida.com.