Fox Run	UPDATED: Monday, March 03, 2008
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Man on a mission

Posted on Monday, March 03, 2008

By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

You might say basketball is in Mike McCormick’s blood—he played at Kent State, while his seven-foot-tall brother Tim is not only a former University of Michigan alum but also a ten-year NBA veteran. He played for the Seattle Super-Sonics, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, and the New York Knicks.

Sportsmanlike influence
Together, the two basketball-loving brothers have used the sport as a way to positively influence kids from ages 5 to 17.

“For the past three summers we have coached the City Mission Basketball Camp,” says Mike McCormick, who’s also the executive director at Fox Run, a retirement community in Novi.

“It’s just one day a summer, and we get about 100 kids. Each kid gets a t-shirt, a basketball, and some healthy snacks.”

The McCormick brothers also bring life lessons the basketball clinics, which are free of charge. “We talk about the importance of listening and character, sportsmanship and teamwork,” says Tim McCormick.

According to their website, City Mission is a nonprofit organization that helps children on Detroit’s northwest side meet their educational, physical, and spiritual needs through loving, mentoring relationships and outreach programs designed to impact children and their families.

Dedicated volunteer and coach
In addition to working with City Mission, Mike McCormick also runs a basketball program for kids in his Birmingham neighborhood. “I rent a gym and spend my Sunday afternoons coaching basketball with 20 other dads—I coach about 150 kids including my two sons,” he says.

Besides running the basketball camps, McCormick also does volunteer work with his church.

Mike McCormick's mission

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“I am the small groups’ director for Kensington Church in Birmingham,” he says. “I coordinate all of the small groups for our church of about 1,000 people. My wife Kristie and I have spent the past two years planning for the opening of the church, which started September 2007. In addition, I volunteer with the kids’ programs on Sundays. I also lead a small men’s group with about 15 guys each week.”

Community builder
According to McCormick, his work at Fox Run has motivated him to give back even more. “I think my experience at Erickson has led me to become a community builder, somebody who finds joy in bringing people together to accomplish something beneficial for others, whether it’s church, sports, or social activities,” he says.

“It’s fun because all of my volunteer work is now interconnected. Many of the kids I coach in basketball on Sundays now go to my church, and I can have a greater impact on their lives more than just one day a week. A lot of the dads who help me out with basketball on Sundays and are in my men’s group, help me coach the City Mission camp and have naturally become more involved with that ministry.

“At the end of the day,” he adds, “I love building community and seeing others give their time and talents to something greater than themselves. I think this is where most people find true joy.”