Redlands Youth 'Hoop Shoots' and Scores

Four hundred baskets is all in a day's work for 10-year-old Luke Mathis. That's about how many baskets the fifth grader shoots every day; his practice and his simple motto - No Days Off - helped him win the championship title in the 10-11-Year-Old Boys division of the Elks Lodge Region 7 West "Hoop Shoot" contest held in Las Vegas in Feburary. Mathis scored 22 of 25 free throws in the Hoop Shoot semi-finals, earning him a spot in the national competition next month in Springfield, Mass., the birthplace of basketball. The national competition tips off April 18, and Mathis is going for the male championship title in his age division. "It's definitely exciting," said Mathis's mother, Crystal Mathis. "He's worked so hard. He practices every day. He has a goal and he's working toward it. He says he feels like his hard work is paying off." The "Hoop Shoot" event is what Hoop Shoot director Tony Lemos described as one of "the most well-kept secrets here in the West Coast." Funded by the Elks National Foundation - created in 1928 as the charitable arm of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, one of the country's oldest and largest fraternal organization - the annual Elks Hoop Shoot competition "offers youth the opportunity to engage in healthy competition, connect with their families and community and succeed both on and off the court," according to a release issued by the Elks National Foundation. Mathis proved himself as one of the country's 72 best free-throw shooters between the ages of 8 and 13, advancing through the local, district and state competition, netting in the most of 25 free throws in his age group at each contest. Now, he looks forward to the next step of the competition - and his first plane ride. "He's more excited than nervous, I think," said mother Crystal, who recounted her nervousness as her son competed in the recent competition held in Las Vegas. "It was [nerve-wracking] for me, but when he won, we were super excited," she shared. Practicing daily, Mathis shoots hoops before school, after school, and once again in the late afternoon. He's been playing basketball since he was 5, playing travel ball with Moreno Valley-based Cali Elite. He began playing the sport at the local YMCA, which is how he was introduced to Lemos, Crystal explained. "Luke is very well-deserving of a pat on the back," said Lemos. "He's out there every day, practicing his shooting." Luke dreams of becoming a professional basketball player, shared his mother. His favorite team is the Los Angeles Clippers and his favorite player is Chris Paul. "Little by little, he's making his goal, working up to high school and college and hopefully scholarships," said Crystal. "But what I think he's most looking forward to is, if he wins the national title, his name will be inscribed in the NBA Hall of Fame." Mathis's progress at the national competition can be viewed using the live Elks Hoop Shoot shot tracker, which can be accessed on April 18 at www.elks.org/hoopshoot.