St. Michael’s Catholic Academy basketball coach Cooper Land spent two weeks this summer with Identity Hoops International, an organization that uses basketball as a platform to partner with local churches and missionaries to engage, mentor and equip athletes.

Land coached a team of nine former college basketball players, ages 22-26, with aspirations to play professional basketball.

After a stint at training camp in Phoenix, Arizona, the group set off to the Philippines for 10 days of basketball games, missionary work, and small group study sessions.