Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our FAQ page, where you will find answers to questions about our mission, programs, impact, volunteer opportunities, and ways to get involved. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact us directly at 772.257.5400 or info@crosovermission.com, and our dedicated team will be happy to assist you.
Choose from the categories below or simply scroll down to find the answers you’re looking for!
- All
- Academic Mentoring
- Age Groups
- Attendance
- Basketball Training
- Character & Life Skills Development
- Elite Training
- Making a Donation
- Mentoring
- Other Activities Offered
- Parental Involvement
- Playing Other Sports
- Progress Tracking
- Registration Costs
- Safety Measures
- Scheduling & Transportation
- Sponsorship Opportunities
- Summer Program
- Tours
- Travel Ball
- Uniforms and Equipment
- Volunteering
- Weather and Program Cancellations
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Yes, please contact Crossover’s Director of Development, Triana Romero, at 772.257.5400 to schedule a group or individual tour of our facility and programming.
We offer sponsorship opportunities at different levels so that we meet your budget. Supporters have various sponsorship opportunities: our annual Gala, the Travel Ball program, and the Summer Program. Sponsors may also customize their sponsorship by contacting Crossover’s Director of Development, Triana Romero, at 772.257.5400.
Yes. Donations can be donor restricted. There is always an ongoing need for general operating support so we always encourage donors to consider that option.
We encourage you to make a safe and secure donation through our website CrossoverMission.com. Donors may also mail a check to our office: Crossover Mission. 4425 US Highway 1, Vero Beach, FL 32967.
We are grateful for your support!
We ask that volunteers commit at least one academic school year. Research shows that one-to-one mentoring is most effective when mentors and youth have a consistent and structured relationship over a significant period of time.
The 2023-2024 school-year mentoring schedule is as follows:
Monday: 2:30-5PM
Tuesday: 3-5PM
Wednesday: 3:30-5PM
Thursday: 3:30-5:30PM
No Program on Fridays
Academic mentoring is more than just tutoring or homework help. It is a one-on-one, caring, supportive partnership between a mentor and a student that is based on trust and whose purpose is to focus on the scholastic needs of the student toward achieving his or her fullest potential. A mentor is a wise and trusted adult with a commitment to provide guidance and support to the student. Academic Mentoring is also focused on developing growth mindsets, character development, etiquette, confident self-expression, and exposure to the broader world.
Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. All staff and volunteers undergo a Level 2 background check and fingerprinting in order to work with children and teens at Crossover. In addition, all are required to complete online Sexual Predator Awareness and Prevention and Safe Mentoring Practices modules before having contact with any Crossover student athletes. Ongoing training in mentoring best practices is also provided by Crossover management as needed.
At Crossover, volunteers may serve in a wide range of capacities. Most serve as volunteer academic mentors after being on-boarded by our Volunteer Coordinator. Volunteers can also support Crossover staff with fundraising and administrative tasks. Many parents volunteer by donating healthy snacks for tournaments and other community events.
You may apply online to become a volunteer here:Â https://crossovermission.com/about-the-academic-mentoring-program-amp/#single/0.
You may also call our main office at 772.257.5400 to discuss year-round volunteer opportunities.
Yes, the Summer Program welcomes student athletes from Indian River County ages 10-18. Additionally, Crossover alumni are encouraged to apply to be paid Youth Counselors. Several Crossover alumni also serve as volunteer mentors during the summer.
The Summer Program helps realize a community need for structured, affordable, and comprehensive summer programming. As there is strong overlap between the school-year and summer enrollment populations, Crossover’s Summer Program is intentionally designed to sustain the progress that student athletes earned at Crossover, on the basketball court, and in the classroom during the school year. The Summer Program helps participants gain a competitive edge in their pursuit of academic excellence and prized roster spots on their school basketball teams. As the Summer Program staff organizes overnight basketball camps on college campuses as well as cultural and educational excursions and tours throughout Indian River County and the state, student athletes develop positive mindsets and confidence as well as receive exposure to a broader social world that offers new possibilities.
The Elite Training program is available to Crossover student athletes who have demonstrated exceptional academic success, leadership abilities, and basketball achievements. Participation in the program is by invitation only and registration is first come, first serve. For more information on the Elite Training Program, please contact Coach Antoine Jennings at ajennings@crossovermission.com.
We’ve broken away from the traditional, seasonal approach to sports and academics and introduced a year-round and transformative journey: Travel Ball. With tournaments happening every two months, our young athletes are constantly engaged and driven to improve. This heightened level of competition fuels not only their athletic dreams but also their academic aspirations. For those who make their school teams, our program ensures they stay committed during their school seasons. Even for those who may not make their school teams, our on-court experience at Crossover ensures their basketball journey continues, helping them build skills and confidence.
Yes, the Youth Protection Safety Policy and Youth Minor Incident Report are both policies in place to address accidents or incidents with students. We also keep emergency contact information on all student athletes in Salesforce easily accessible by all staff.
Crossover has an Emergency Action Plan as well as a Youth Protection Safety Policy that is required review and acknowledgement by all staff and volunteers.
Yes. At the beginning of each school year, we conduct a mandatory, on-site parent orientation. Throughout the school year, parents and guardians are invited to attend such events as our End-of-Year banquet, basketball tournaments, and parades for community celebrations.
We view our relationship with families as a social contract. We are here to support them through coaching, academic mentoring, and with completing college and financial aid applications and collegiate sports recruitment. In turn, we ask them to support us at Crossover. We strategize with parents in supporting their children with homework at home and on weekends. We also ask them to be volunteers and many donate healthy snacks regularly for tournaments and other community events.
Yes, our staff communicates during the school year at least one time per week with parents and guardians on their child’s progress.
Each student athlete has different academic needs and we deploy a data-driven Individualized Mentoring Plan utilizing goal-setting to realize success. To assess progress, Crossover’s program staff closely monitors grades and school behavior reports through the Indian River Public School District FOCUS Agency Account and the equivalent for those student athletes attending private schools.
To evaluate their performance on the basketball court, Crossover coaches make close observations on each student athlete’s performance during training sessions and practices that enables them to determine if specific milestones have been met.
Crossover organizes a variety of opportunities for student athletes to participate in specifically to broaden and enrich their overall development: college tours, overnight college basketball camps, civic engagement and community service, and cultural and environmental excursions. Mature student athletes at Crossover can also serve as mentors to their younger peers.
Yes. Crossover staff safely transports student athletes from schools throughout Indian River County to the Crossover Center during the school year. There is no additional cost for transportation from school to the Crossover Center. Please call 772.257.5400 for the current pick-up schedule.
Crossover’s 36-week, academic school-year schedule for 2023-2024 is as follows:
Independent Study: 9AM-2PM
College & Career Readiness: 2-6PM
High School Healthy Kids: 2-3:05PM
High School Snack & Changing: 3:05-3:15PM
High School Extended Support: 3:15-4:15PM
Middle School Changing, then Healthy Snack: 3-3:15PM
Middle School Extended Support: 3:15-4:15PM
Middle School Healthy Kids: 4:15-5:30PM
Elementary School Healthy Snack & Changing: 3:45-4PM
Elementary School Extended Support: 4:15-5PM
Elementary School Healthy Kids: 5-5:45PM
Daily Parent Pick-Up for All Students: 5:45-6PM
The Summer Program schedule is Monday-Thursday from 9AM-5PM.
*Schedule is subject to change if needed.
Crossover utilizes an automated messaging system to notify parents and guardians of any program changes or cancellations. We also distribute email notifications on program changes and cancellations. We encourage parents and guardians to check our Website and social media channels for updates as well.
Crossover follows the cancellation policy set forth by the School District of Indian River County during the school year and the safety protocol set by the County during the summer.
Only three unexcused absences are allowed per nine-week term before suspension. An excused absence should be provided by calling Crossover at 772.257.5400 beforehand though we recognize extenuating circumstances. An excused absence for a school activity, sports activity, illness, or for family reasons will be approved. Details on our excused absence policy will be provided at the mandatory parent orientation.
All student athletes, unless there’s an unexcused absence, must attend the Academic Center at least one day per week and participate in basketball practices one to four times per week (depending on age and skill level). High-risk students struggling academically are recommended on a case-by-case basis to attend the Academic Center up to four days per week. Attendance at a parent orientation is required before a child may formally join Crossover.
Dress code is sports wear but we recommend a Crossover shirt. We prefer that student athletes wear their Crossover shirts but they may wear a shirt appropriate for basketball training. Required footwear is basketball shoes and student athletes are required to wear shorts. There is a separate attire for formal events such as fine dining excursions and our End-of-Year Banquet.
Uniforms (shirt and shorts) and equipment are provided by Crossover. The first uniform is included in each student athlete’s registration fee. A replacement fee will be charged for subsequent sets.
When necessary, a payment plan can be applied to the $150/year fee or can be paid through our scholarship process.
The annual fee for the 2023-2004 school year is $150 per student. Full access to the summer program is an additional $150 per student. These fees are comparatively modest to other high-quality youth development programs so that we may ensure equitable access. But they are also intentional and meant to ensure that participants and their parents fully engage in Crossover programming.
Yes, student athletes at the elementary, middle, and high school levels all have their own dedicated schedules and all aspects of our academic programming and curriculum is grade-appropriate.
All Indian River County children–both boys and girls ages 10+–are eligible to participate. At Crossover, student athletes attend public and private schools from throughout Indian River County. These student athletes reside in the following areas: South County (24%); Central Vero (37%); Gifford/Wabasso (34%); and Sebastian/Fellsmere (four percent).
Mentoring has been shown to boost young people’s motivation, their focus, concentration, mental preparation, and self-confidence. As our program model is based on one-to-one and small-group mentoring, we can closely monitor the progress of each student’s physical, social, and emotional growth during basketball training and instruction.
At Crossover, mentoring is also focused on developing growth mindsets, character development, etiquette, confident self-expression, and exposure to the broader world.
Youth who come to Crossover can be dealing with feelings of loneliness, not belonging, and social isolation. They may have been bullied or feel rejected by their peers at school or their neighborhood. When they’re not addressed, these issues can lead to a decline in self-esteem or deviant behaviors. These children require structured programming and one-to-one and small- group mentoring that can improve psycho-social conditions. When these youth are taught to become part of a team at Crossover over the course of a school year, they are afforded time in which to experience new, healthy peer networks that position them for success on and off the court.
Research has proven the numerous benefits of a structured mentoring program and how it works to mitigate the factors that contribute to a child or teen determined to high risk:
Improved School Attendance: Youth with mentors had fewer unexcused absences from class than students without mentors;
Positive Attitudes: Teachers reported students participating in mentoring are more engaged in the classroom and place a higher value on school;
Drug & Alcohol Use: Research shows that youth with mentors were less likely to begin using drugs or alcohol;
New & Alternative Peer Groups: Student athletes’ health and educational outcomes are shaped by the behaviors of their peers, such as how socially competent peer group members are or whether the peer group supports healthy behaviors (e.g. engaging in school activities, completing homework, helping others);
School Connectedness: The Centers for Disease Control determined there’s a positive relationship between school connectedness and attendance, grades, test scores, participation in extracurricular activities, and a willingness to persist, stay focused, and overcome challenges.
During the 2022-2023 school year, the average GPA for all Crossover student athletes was 3.23, 93% had at least a 2.0 GPA, 68% had at least a GPA 3.0 or higher, 36% made the A/B Honor Roll, and 12% earned a 4.0. For the fourth consecutive year, 100% of senior student athletes graduated from high school.
Yes. We train student athletes of all skill sets–from those who are already stars on their teams to those who are brand new to the game of basketball.
What makes our program unique is that we want young people who want to be here and aren’t afraid of the demands we place on them to be the best they can be. We also expect youth to be fully committed to academics. Basketball and academics go hand in hand at Crossover.
Currently, the combined number of years of playing experience Crossover coaches have at the high school level and beyond is 14. The combined number of years Crossover coaches have coaching and mentoring youth is 20.
Our four coaches bring vast coaching experience to Crossover. They have coached in local recreational leagues, at the high school level, and have led numerous basketball clinics. All our coaches share a love of the game, a passion for young people to succeed, and a know-how of taking a young baller to the next level.
Academic mentoring is required for all students ages 10-18 at Crossover. Each student is assigned a team leader with action plans evaluated and modified weekly. Action plans include: one-to-one mentoring up to four days per week, frequent, direct communication with classroom teachers and school guidance counselors, ongoing relationship building with parents, intensified life mentoring, support in testing, and development of Individualized Education Plans (when indicated). Our staff accurately assess the level of risk of each participant and determine the scope of support that’s needed.
Crossover is committed to supporting our student athletes as deeply as needed for success. Central to a student athlete’s academic success is a consistent and steady mentoring relationship between student athletes and adults. Positive, consistent relationships emphasize “mattering” which lets at-risk youth know they are relevant and deeply supported.
Crossover’s dedicated team of coaches is committed to providing a comprehensive training experience, focusing on building strong basketball fundamentals in key areas: Ball Handling, Footwork, Scoring, Play Strategy & Execution; Strength & Conditioning; Health Awareness and Dieting; and Mental Health.