Basketball Hall of Fame Visit Includes a Surprise Honor for
Crossover Mission Co-Founder Antoine Jennings

What began as a visit to one of basketball’s most iconic landmarks became a moment our student-athletes will never forget.

While attending the Yale University Basketball Camp this summer, Crossover Mission’s boys team traveled to Springfield, Massachusetts, to visit the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The experience was made possible through Crossover supporter and Hall of Fame inductee Coach David Hixon, whose remarkable coaching career spans more than four decades at Amherst College, includes two NCAA Division III National Championships, and culminated with his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Coach Hixon personally welcomed the group and led the students through the Hall of Fame, sharing stories of legendary players, coaches, and defining moments in the sport. Throughout the tour, he encouraged them to think beyond championships and statistics and consider the lasting impact that leadership, character, and service can have on a community.

Then came a surprise.

As the tour concluded, Coach Hixon gathered everyone together and announced that Crossover Mission Co-Founder and Head Coach Antoine Jennings had been nominated for the prestigious Ice Cube Impact Award, presented annually by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Ice Cube Impact Award recognizes individuals and organizations who understand that basketball is a powerful vehicle for creating meaningful change through education, opportunity, mentoring, fellowship, and character-building. In a letter from Hall of Fame President and CEO John Doleva, Antoine’s nomination recognizes both his leadership and the vision behind Crossover Mission and the Crossover Center for Excellence, acknowledging the lasting impact the organization has had on young people and the Vero Beach community.