Here in Belize on another of his regular visits to the land of his birth is former Belize all-star basketball player Evondale “Coby” Coburn, CEO and founder of Coby Foundation; and, as has been his habit on trips to the Jewel, Coby brought a bunch of football equipment for youths, which he handed over this morning to Yabra Sporting Club coordinator Jerome “Peeloff” Maheia. “This is my passion,” said Coby, “and I try to kill two birds with one stone whenever I come home. I always try to bring something, school supplies or sporting equipment for the youths, usually for basketball, which was my main sport, but also for football, etc.”
Coby arrived in Belize on Saturday, Independence Day, and is scheduled to return to Georgia, USA, on Wednesday of this week. This morning, on the Kremandala compound, he handed over a bag of brand new youth football gear to Peeloff, including 2 footballs, 11 pairs of football boots, at least 9 plastic training cones, and two “Soccer Trainers.” The “soccer trainer” is a special ball-control training device that attaches a football in a nylon net with an adjustable cord to a similar adjustable waist ban, so that a player can practice juggling the ball without using the hands to hold the cord. After giving it a tryout, Peeloff said that the youths will be especially thrilled with the “trainer,” as they often try to tie pieces of string together to make a similar device. The waist ban attachment makes it much more effective, as the player’s hands are free to maintain balance while controlling the ball. “This will be great to improve their ball control,” remarked Peeloff.
Coby said he would like to encourage others to donate whatever they can to the youth of Belize.
Established in 2004, Coby Foundation is a non-profit organization which is dedicated “to help young Belizeans from economically disadvantaged backgrounds discover and experience the discipline needed by reinforcing education, confidence and a sense of purpose to be successful in their personal lives and in their community.”
Among its activities, Coby sponsors and coordinates an annual summer 3×3 youth basketball tournament at Bird’s Isle in Belize City.
Contact numbers are: Belize (011-501) 600-7634; USA (912) 492-5014. Donations can be sent to Coby Foundation Account #51819 at Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited. For more information, see www.cobyfoundationsystems.org