Chicago Bulls legends bring basketball clinic, positive affirmations to 35 girls
By Marissa Sulek
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CHICAGO (WBBM) — Thirty-five girls learned Wednesday night how the game of basketball can instill confidence — with the help of two former Chicago Bulls players.
The effort was all for Women’s History Month.
Mercy Rivera, one of the participants, wants to play in the WNBA someday. She knows it will take positive affirmations to reach that goal, and she recites them.
“I am powerful, and I will be able to fight, and I am in charge of how I work,” Mercy said.
Female empowerment was the seed The Miracle Center, at 5454 W. Diversey Ave., and the Bulls tried to plant it Wednesday in Mercy and 34 other young women from the Belmont Cragin community.
“This is a special time,” said former Bulls player Randy Brown. “The WNBA is on the rise. Collegiate basketball is great.”
Brown was on three of the six world champion Bulls teams with Michael Jordan in the 1990s, and later served as director of player development and assistant general manager of the team. He addressed the girls with Joakim Noah, a fan favorite who played with the Bulls from 2007 to 2016.
“I’m a girl dad, first of all, and my daughter kind of runs the show at my house,” Noah said.
Brown and Noah came to support the future athletes with an all-girls’ basketball clinic.
“I understand the importance of making sure that women feel good, and feel entitled and strong,” said Noah.
“Don’t be afraid to fail, and no giving up,” Brown told the girls.
The goal is to plant messages and support now, so the girls know what is possible in the years to come.
“You know, as a former Division I athlete, there were a lot of men you have to look up to, you know, and a lot of them were the ones that were your inspiration,” said Bulls Vice President of Community Engagement Adrienne Scherenzel, “so now there are so many females that are examples, and so many more that are like leading the way.”
It seemed the efforts to instill those messages of inspiration were a success.
“A lot is kind of like seeing what I’ll do in the future, and just try to participate more, and just follow my dreams more,” said Mercy.
The Chicago Bulls said is the third event they put on with The Miracle Center this year. They have many more events scheduled for Women’s History Month.
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