Adrian Romero is a former student-athlete (Lewis & Clark College) who is using the game of basketball to give back to the community he grew up in. He is the founder of the Bilingual Básquetbol Initiative, which aims to bring people together, bridge cultural gaps, and cross language barriers with free basketball camps.
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In this episode of the Student-Athlete Sessions, Adrian discusses his college athletics recruiting process in Oregon, playing in the Northwest Conference, using the game of basketball to give back, the impact that going D3 has had on his life, and much more.
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Get To Know Adrian Romero
Rhetoric & Media Studies Major (3.1 GPA)
4 Yr Varsity Basketball at Lewis & Clark
Founder of the Bilingual Básquetbol Initiative
2x High School Basketball State Champ
From Irrigon, Oregon
The Bilingual Básquetbol Initiative
Adrian ran the first BBI camp back in 2021 in his home town of Irrigon, OR. He came up with the original idea after brainstorming with his High School basketball coach Mitch Thompson:
“We just wanted to put on a camp in town,” Romero said. “There aren’t too many resources for the kids. It will give them something to look forward to. We wanted to make it inclusive. Several families are bilingual or only speak Spanish. We wanted to make sure they felt welcome.” East Oregonian, 2021
Pretty soon, over 100 kids had signed up - eager to play some basketball, learn from a former D3 Athlete, and pick up the t-shirt and school supplies the camp provided.
Fast forward to 2023, and the BBI is now running three camps across Eastern Oregon. They are all still free to the community and have expanded their offerings to include haircuts, camp gear, basketballs, and backpacks to the campers.
How You Can Support
Donate to their GoFundMe to raise money for their 3 Free Summer Camps
Follow them on Twitter for the latest updates
Share this email with a friend to spread the word!
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Adrian Romero - Founder of the Bilingual Básquetbol Initiative