Participating in the Elks National Hoop Shoot Finals taught Joshua Burgos of Ocala, Florida lessons in confidence, hard work and dedication. He learned that he can achieve anything. Life lessons that come only with time were all rolled into one amazing experience for Joshua and his family.

For kids, the Elks National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Program teaches valuable lessons about self-esteem and good sportsmanship. Joshua was no exception.

Today’s NBA players could learn something from Joshua. He makes free-throw shooting look easy! But don’t be fooled into thinking that basketball is his only passion or talent—Joshua plays basketball with a traveling team in Florida, but he also plays soccer and loves music. He plays two kinds of recorders, the violin and the saxophone. Oh, and he loves math competitions.

Lucky for Joshua, his experience with the Elks National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Program gave him plenty of chances to compete. His hard work and dedication landed Joshua in Springfield, Mass., for the 2008 National Finals.

“I just love shooting hoops whenever I can, and I love making it a competition,” says Joshua. “My favorite part about the Hoop Shoot was getting to compete with other good kids who like to play basketball like I do.”

Preparing with Buddy Joshua knows he couldn’t have done it without his coach, Buddy Karolev. To prepare for the contest, he practiced with his dad and his coach, six days a week, two hours a day, for three months!

“We prepared by practicing his positive mental attitude and of course, his shot,” says Coach Karolev.

Coaching didn’t end when they left the gym. Karolev’s support for Joshua travelled north from Florida to Massachusetts while accompanying the Burgoes to the Hoop Shoot finals. And Joshua didn’t disappoint his coach; he sunk 21 out of 25 finishing fourth in the 10- and 11-year old division!

Karolev, a physical education teacher and a personal trainer from Ocala, Florida, was surprised by the diversity of the event. His favorite part of the Hoop Shoot was, as he puts it, “the vastness of this wonderful competition. [Including] kids from all over the county!”

Lessons for a Lifetime Even the most experienced basketball players can succumb to nerves at the free-throw line. Staying cool under pressure is nothing extraordinary for Joshua. Thanks to his positive experience with the Hoop Shoot, he toes the line with confidence.

“I love the pressure because it gives me a tingle inside,” says Joshua. “It makes me do better.”

Joshua’s mom, Jackie, believes the Hoops Shoot program has affected their family in an incredible way.

“The Elks have truly blessed our lives” she says. “We hope and pray [the] organization keeps up with the excellent work they do.”

In 2008-09, the Elks National Foundation will distribute $737,514 to fund the Elks National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Program. For more information on the Hoop Shoot, or to view complete contest results from the 2008 Hoop Shoot National Finals, visit www.elks.org/hoopshoot.