A month ago, I had no idea who the Harlem Ambassadors were. Now, I feel like I’m one of them. I feel like they are family to me. The Ambassadors are known for their slam dunks and tricks. But after I spent time with them, I saw them as role models to everyone.

It all started when I got an email from Dale Moss, the president of the Ambassadors. He told me he really enjoyed the audition video that I sent into Nike when I applied for the field reporter job and that he would love for me to do a story about the Harlem Ambassadors. (I was so flattered that he remembered my video). From there we agreed that I would fly out to Indianapolis to cover the team. And the rest was history! But wait. Who are the Harlem Ambassadors?

The Harlem Ambassadors are a co-ed professional show basketball team that travels around the world to provide fun entertainment to people of all ages. The Ambassadors are a fresh, family-friendly community fundraiser. They combine slam dunks, smiles and tricks during their games. The coolest thing about the Ambassadors is that team’s female players serve as the central comedy figures during a game. Lade Majic is the team’s head coach, director of basketball operations and the star player of the Ambassadors. She has been an Ambassador for 12 years.

The Ambassadors had just started their tour when I was set to meet them in Indianapolis. Mr. Moss and I decided that in order for me to really learn who the Harlem Ambassador are, I would have to be one. For two days, I would travel, eat, sleep, play and perform as an Ambassador. Once I landed in Indianapolis, I was kind of nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. But as soon as I met the team, all my butterflies went away and I instantly clicked with the team.

The team picked me up from the airport in the 13-passenger-van in which they travel from city to city in. Each Ambassador sincerely welcomed me to the team because, to them, I was officially one of them. We drove to a hotel, dropped our bags off and traveled to a local High School, where I would observe my first Harlem Ambassadors game. A Harlem Ambassadors game is affordable for an entire family, plus the money spent on each ticket goes to the community’s organization that is hosting the event. Each game, the Ambassadors play a different opponent. The opponent is usually a team of the local community’s teachers, coaches, civic officials, and more.

As soon as we arrived to the school’s gym, the team came out with a bolt of energy for the big crowd of Indianapolis residents. The Ambassadors warmed up doing slam dunks, throwing alley-oops and doing some pretty cool dribbling tricks. During the game, after the Ambassadors ran up the score a little bit against the Indianapolis players, they would take intermissions to get the crowd involved. Kids were invited from the stands to play musical chairs, people participated in the “Cha-Cha” slide and raffles. The Ambassadors would even do little skits during the game, such as mess with the referees. It was definitely a funny show! When the game ended, fans got a chance to get players’ autographs. It was mind-blowing to see all the families who wanted autographs because they had personally been inspired by the show.

The next day, the team and I traveled to Columbus, Indiana to speak to elementary students and kids from a local Boys and Girls club and D.A.R.E. program in an assembly. The Harlem Ambassadors take pride in not only being Ambassadors on the court, but also off the court. Each player has obtained a college degree and is drug free. The athletes selected to be an Ambassador maintain healthy lifestyles and make great role models for young people.

During the assemblies, each Ambassador (even me!) told stories about their rough pasts and about the importance of getting education and staying drug free. It was inspiring to see how the young kids were so attentive to the Ambassadors. They listened to them and trusted them. The kids even vowed to stay drug free.

After we finished the assemblies, it was now GAME TIME! In tonight’s game, the Ambassadors had a guest player! And she was ME! But before I could play, we had to make a run at a Nike Factory store to get some gear. They hooked me up with some fresh new Nike kicks and I was ready to go!

The game in which I played in was probably one of the best games of my life. It was fun and entertaining and I just felt honored to wear an Ambassadors’ jersey. I participated in all the skits, tricks, and games. Ki-Ki Davis, Lade Majic’s underscore, not only let me shadow her during the whole trip, but also taught me how to do all the skits during the game. (Thanks Ki-Ki!) I danced, I played with the kids, and I even scored a reverse lay-up! At the end of the game, I signed some autographs too! It was a great ending to my trip.

I went into this experience as a regular person, but I left as an ambassador. The most memorable thing to me was not when I got some new Nike shoes, or even when I scored a reverse lay-up. It was actually when I witnessed the effect the Ambassadors have on not only kids, but everyone. Families walked up and told us thank you, you have really changed my son’s/daughter’s life. That was, by far, the best thing to see. I would like to personally thank all the Ambassadors for inspiring me to live to be a blessing to someone else’s life!

If you want to learn more about the Ambassadors or you would like to see them in your city, go to their website

-Isis Roberts