I get off the bus around 3:30 p.m., and play Fortnite on my Xbox with friends. Then around 4 p.m., I walk over to the Gum Springs Community Center. It’s been a routine for three years, ever since I started middle school. All students are welcome to attend as long as a parent or guardian fills out a release form.
Gum Springs Community Center is the oldest African American community in Fairfax County, having been officially established in 1833. Today, the neighborhood thrives with over 2,500 residents, up to 500 of whom are direct descendants of the original families.
The staff is peppered with former West Po students. Robert Trotter, 23, and Ashwin Jones, 26, are staff members for the 12 to 18 age group.
Trotter has been working at the community center for nine months. He wanted to make a group for people who want to grow and improve their skills in basketball. He wants to show that basketball is more than just a ball going through a hoop. “I like to work in the community I grew up in, while also making a positive impact on the next generation through connection and service,” Trotter said.
Jones likes working with kids from all backgrounds, “Everybody comes from somewhere and everyone has different backgrounds,” he said.
I sign into the teen program and head to the court. During a typical day, there’s normally around eight players and two staff members. We usually play two-three pickup games. When one team loses they either rematch or re-pick teams to play a game of basketball to 21 points.
Every winter, the Gum Springs Community Center fields a rec team, and the season starts on Jan. 2. The rec team provides an engaging environment for learning and playing basketball. The rec team plans to sign up for the Fort Hunt House League again next year.
To participate in the after school program, parents or guardians must fill out a paper that gives the Gum Springs Rec Center their phone number and email just in case their child gets hurt. Hybla Valley Community Center, where some students from both West Po and Mount Vernon go to after school, has the same concept.
Sometimes, in the teen program, we go to the weight room to learn about working out. Other times, we go to the clubhouse to do homework and the staff can help; the staff also do weekly grade checks to see how students are doing in school.
