Second Gentleman Pool Reports of June 2, 2023

SG pool report #1 -- Youth basketball clinicHappy Friday afternoon from your pooler who is at the Entertainment and Sports Arena, home of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, in Southeast D.C., where the Second Gentleman is participating in a Washington Mystics' youth basketball clinic to mark National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff is joined by Shannon Watts, the founder of Mothers Demand Action, and dozens of D.C. Metro area youth and survivors of gun violence. Your pooler was swept by security and guided to the courtside media booth. (With highs of 73 degrees expected today, your pooler is grateful this event is being held indoors.) Ahead of tonight's Washington Mystics v. Dallas Wings, the children practiced their dribbling, shooting and passing with WNBA players and staff ahead of the Emhoff's arrival. The children will then attend the game, where Watts will be honored during halftime.

The event comes at the start of Gun Violence Awareness Month, and at a time when violent crime and homicides are up in D.C.: Between the start of the year and mid-May, more than 40 D.C. youths had been shot— more than double compared with the same time last year, The Washington Post previously reported. Among these victims was a fifth grader hit by a stray bullet on Mother's Day, a 17-year-old shot after his family had escaped gang threats in El Salvador, and a 17-year-old killed in his high school's parking lot.

Watts's nonprofit Everytown coordinated the event with its grantee, the TraRon Center, an afterschool program for children, ranging from 4 to 14 years old, said the center's founder Ryane Nickens. The children have experienced gun violence in their neighborhoods and families, and the event was boisterous event is a welcome distraction, she said.

Emhoff walked into the arena at about 4:15 p.m. and went up to the Mothers Demand Action and Everytown volunteers. The children were seated at the center of the court, where Emhoff spoke for less than 5 minutes.

"I know some of you here are survivors of gun violence, and I'm so sorry for that," Emhoff said to the children. "Your lives have been forever altered by gun violence and that's just not acceptable."

Emhoff said lawmakers lack courage to pass needed legislation to prevent gun violence, calling on Congress to pass reforms the administration has sought.

The group, mostly clad in orange as the color for gun violence awareness, posed for photos. The children then returned to their drills, along with Emhoff, who was wearing an orange polo, blue jeans and sneakers. At the shooting station, Emhoff made a basket, which your pooler and sports novice was informed would be 3 points. Emhoff then participated in practice shots with children. High-fives were steadily delivered, and successful shots were cheered.

Emhoff left the arena at 4:41 p.m. as the children continued to practice.

Have a lovely weekend.