Tendo, 16 years old, NJ | 8 DAYS WAITING | NEEDED BY 11/20

Wish submitted by:

Tendo is a three-sport athlete who plays football, baseball, and his favorite, basketball. He has been playing since early childhood. Once he reached middle school, housing instability meant his family had to move frequently. At each new school, he joined teams but never fully felt part of them, knowing his family would eventually move again. In high school, his family moved less, and he was finally able to be part of a team. He helped win a tournament that took him to new states he had never explored. Now, Tendo finds himself at yet another new school, and more than anything, he hopes to join the team. He dreams of playing basketball at the D1 level after graduation. Basketball has opened doors to a world he didn’t know was available to him, and if he makes it to college, he won’t have to worry about how often his family moves, because he will have a home and a forever family through a team.

Tendo will try out for the basketball team at his new school at the end of the fall, but his family cannot afford a new pair of basketball sneakers for him. Basketball is more than a game to Tendo. It has been his constant through years of moving from school to school, and being part of a team is something he has longed for at every new school. A new pair of sneakers would let him walk into tryouts prepared and confident, with a real chance to compete for a spot. Making the team could bring him the community and routine stability he has been missing, and it could change the trajectory of his future by placing him in an environment where college scouts look for players like Tendo, who play with all of their heart. After so many moves, this wish would help him step onto the court feeling ready to belong.