Braiant Acuña grew up playing basketball in the heat. No matter how high the mercury rose, he and his friends hit the asphalt outdoor courts to indulge their passion.
Now Acuña is happy to help the kids in his neighborhood hoop it up while avoiding the dangerous temperatures. The 21-year-old former Flowing Wells High School basketball player works at the new Sporting Chance Center, an indoor sports facility meant to let youths play safely and cheaply.
So enthusiastic was Acuña when he showed up for open gym that management took notice of him and offered him a job.
“I had two little interviews, and they hired me right on the spot,” he said.
Acuña, who handles maintenance at the center, takes pride in keeping everything looking new and fresh.
“It’s a really nice facility,” he said. “Everyone that comes in here always has something to say about how this is a really nice facility.”
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Sporting Chance Center, 2100 W. Curtis Road, hosts basketball, volleyball and other indoor sports. Tucson Medical Center, Pima County and Southern Arizona Community Sports partnered to develop the center, which is owned by the county. No tax funds were used to build the center, but the county donated the land and is covering part of the utilities and maintenance costs for the next 10 years.
The 40,000-square-foot, wood-floored indoor gym, which opened Aug. 5, was designed to be a hotbed for youth basketball and volleyball.
For more of this story, read Thursday's Northwest Star.
