SLAM LAST UPDATED » July 4, 2009 at 9:00 am

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Charlene Braud, 42, Grew up on Chestnut Street, Uptown. Former director of NORD, New Orleans Recreational Department. She lived all her life in New Orleans but left the city after Katrina and currently lives in Atlanta where she is the director of recreation for the city of Atlanta. Her photograph was taken along with her two teenage boys at Wisner court, where she grew up playing.


What I love about basketball the most and has transcended into who I am is the team thing. It’s a team thing. You can’t do it by yourself. I like the camaraderie and everyone getting together. I am a very competitive person and I love the healthy competition. 

I had this coach who just made me love the game. He loved the game. He found all these little things about the game. You can do this forever. You can enjoy this forever. 

You want to do something, you have to make a commitment. It’s a big thing. You can be on the team but you have to make a commitment, you gotta be at all the practices, show up to all the games, and be committed to the team. Even if you are on the bench you are still on the team. Your role on the team varies, even if you are on the bench you still have a role. When we win we all win, when we lose, we all lose. We win together, we lose together. Team sports have made me who I am. There is a lot to be learned.

It all becomes one. Basketball and family are the same. Your team becomes your basketball family.  You take care of them, you love them, you’re not going to put them down; if they are having a bad day your not going to hammer them for it. It’s a family thing. It’s one and the same.


I am big on life skills. I believe that with basketball comes life skills. In this day and age basketball can mean something else. When I was little we played because we loved the game, all your friends were playing and it was natural, but it has taken on a different life now, with all the leagues, the recognition, the scholarships, the ability to go to college. I’m concerned about the life skills, the basics. You have these overzealous amateur league coaches now who only care about getting that trophy, and the kids are not taught the basics. Lining up on the free throw line, don’t know anything about the lane, can’t shoot the proper way, and don’t really know the game. I make sure coaches are given the proper training they need so they can give the kids the training they need. I instill in coaches and have them find something positive that every kid did in the game and tell them what they did well. So then it becomes something the kids want to do and not an alternative to doing something bad, but it becomes the only thing, so it is not even about the thought about hanging out and, instead, is only, I have a team and want to go out play. In basketball there are so many teachable moments. 

 







Interview by Will Steacy


All photos courtesy of -Wyatt Gallery
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