The L.A. Clippers Foundation honored two Up2Us Coaches as Clippers Community Heroes of the Game on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. Coaches Natalie Vasquez and Edwin Cross were honored before the game, which ended in the Clippers beating the Phoenix Suns in a midweek matchup.
Natalie Vasquez, a youth basketball coach at Woodcraft Rangers in East Los Angeles, started in September 2017 and is in her second year coaching through Up2Us Sports. Born and raised in East LA, she attended Wilson High School, where she was captain of varsity basketball team for two years and went on to play for East Los Angeles College. She is currently working on her kinesiology degree. As a member of the WISE network, Natalie continues to look for opportunities to empower women on and off the field.
Edwin Cross coaches soccer to youth at Brotherhood Crusade in South Los Angeles, and is in his first year coaching through Up2Us Sports. He started in September 2018. Cross grew up participating in the Brotherhood Crusade soccer program, first starting at the age of 15. Now, Edwin is on of the head coaches for the soccer program at two of their sites: Manchester and 52nd Street School.
Both coach positions are made possible from the generous support of CaliforniaVolunteers and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The L.A. Clippers Foundation is a non-profit entity established in the summer of 1994 to increase the club's support of their surrounding communities. Since its inception, the Clippers' Foundation has been committed to promoting positive educational, civic, environmental and humanitarian values through community outreach programs. Their Clippers Community Heroes program honors people in Los Angeles communities that inspire children through community service.
