On a Wednesday afternoon in Chapel Hill, the sounds inside the Hargraves Center gymnasium were not the familiar squeak of sneakers or the thud of basketballs hitting hardwood. Instead, there was laughter. The scratch of pencils against paper. The low hum of conversations between third graders and college athletes who, just days earlier, had been playing in front of tens of thousands of fans. For a few hours, North Carolina men’s basketball stepped away from the spotlight of the Smith Center and into a space where the scoreboard did not matter, the standings were irrelevant, and the most important thing happening involved creativity, connection, and community.
This was not a recruiting visit. It was not a photo op. And it certainly was not about wins and losses. It was about what happens when a storied college basketball program hands the pen — quite literally — to local kids and says, “Show us who you are.”
The result was something special.
A Different Kind of Road Trip
The UNC men’s basketball team is used to traveling. Long flights, late nights, unfamiliar arenas — it’s all part of the job. But this road trip was different. Just a few minutes from campus, in Chapel Hill’s historic Northside neighborhood, the Tar Heels walked into the Hargraves Center to spend time with students from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools community.
Third through fifth graders gathered around folding tables inside the gym, each group paired with UNC players. Instead of diagramming plays or breaking down film, they were sketching ideas for warm-up shirt designs inspired by Black History Month. The designs would not simply stay on paper. One would be selected and worn by the Tar Heels at the Smith Center for UNC’s home game against Louisville on Monday, February 23.
For the kids, this was a chance to create something real. For the players, it was a reminder of the influence they carry far beyond the court.
Where Community Meets the Program
The event was organized by Ragan Copeland, UNC basketball’s Director of Community Engagement. Though her title is relatively new, the mission behind it is not. North Carolina basketball has long prided itself on being part of the Chapel Hill community, not just a program that exists within it.
“It’s really special,” Copeland said. “It just shows the impact that they have on this community. They can bring a lot of joy to a lot of people and a lot of kids, so I love putting together events like this for them.”
Copeland’s role reflects a growing understanding within college athletics: elite programs do not exist in isolation. They are woven into the fabric of their communities. For UNC, that fabric includes the Hargraves Center — a place that has served as a cornerstone for generations of families in Northside.
A Relationship Built Over Time
Wednesday’s visit was not a one-off appearance. The relationship between UNC basketball and the Hargraves Center stretches back years. Head coach Hubert Davis, who briefly stopped by during the event, has been a longtime supporter of the center. Players have visited before — making Valentine’s Day cards, playing basketball, or simply showing up to spend time with kids.
Sunshine Mitchell, an after-school instructor at Hargraves, has seen that consistency firsthand.
“They come and participate with the kids,” Mitchell said. “I remember them coming on Valentine’s Day last year to help make cards. They came a few months ago as well. Sometimes they’ll just come and play with the kids. They’ll play basketball. We’ll be outside with the kids and they’ll just come and hang out for a while.”
That continuity matters. For the kids, it reinforces that the Tar Heels aren’t just distant figures on television. They’re real people who come back, who remember faces, and who care.
The Joy of Anticipation
Mitchell tried to keep Wednesday’s visit a secret from her students. But kids have a way of sensing when something special is coming.
“They were pretty excited,” she said, smiling. “One of them came upstairs and came in and he was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I know what’s happening!’ They caught on pretty quickly.”
When asked if there were Carolina fans in the room, Mitchell didn’t hesitate.
“Yes, yes we are,” she said, tugging lightly at her UNC hoodie.
That enthusiasm filled the gym as players arrived, greeting students, pulling up chairs, and diving into the creative process.
Creativity Without Limits
The assignment was simple: design a warm-up shirt inspired by Black History Month. The execution, however, was anything but ordinary.
Kids sketched symbols, words, and images that reflected pride, history, unity, and hope. Some designs were bold. Others were subtle. All of them were personal.
Tar Heel players listened, asked questions, and offered encouragement. There were no wrong answers. No critiques. Just collaboration.
Among the student presenters at the end of the event were Caleb Wilson, Jaydon Young, and Elijah Davis. Davis’ design even included a handwritten disclaimer at the bottom: “Elijah Davis help [sic] me on this project.”
It was imperfect. Honest. And exactly the kind of detail that made the moment unforgettable.
Seeing Through New Eyes
For UNC players, many of whom grew up far from Chapel Hill, the event offered a chance to connect with a community they now represent.
This season’s roster spans the globe — from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, to Montenegro. But for one player, the visit hit especially close to home.
Jarin Stevenson, a Chapel Hill native and former Seaforth High School standout, sat among the kids — his 6-foot-10 frame noticeably cramped into a plastic folding chair — and soaked it all in.
“Seeing the kids around, interacting with them, they’re very creative,” Stevenson said. “They like lots of different things. I feel like we relate to them a lot. Being around them, learning their ideas. Being around them is really cool.”
For Stevenson, this was more than community service. It was personal. The same neighborhood that once watched him grow into a Tar Heel now watched him give back as one.
Beyond Basketball
Moments like this highlight a side of college athletics that often goes unnoticed. While fans debate rotations, shooting percentages, and defensive schemes, there is another layer to these programs — one rooted in responsibility.
College athletes are role models whether they ask for that label or not. Their presence carries weight. For kids at the Hargraves Center, spending time with UNC players wasn’t just fun — it was affirming.
“It’s awesome. It’s amazing,” Mitchell said. “A lot of times these kids don’t get the opportunity to experience some of the things other kids have. So having the team come in and volunteer and play with the kids is really cool. It means a lot to the kids.”
Those moments of connection linger. Long after the players leave and the tables are folded up, the memories remain.
The Meaning Behind the Shirts
When the Tar Heels take the floor against Louisville on February 23, fans may notice something different during warm-ups. The shirts will carry a design born not in a locker room or marketing office, but in an after-school gym filled with imagination.
That matters.
It means Black History Month is being honored not just through symbolism, but through inclusion. It means kids from the community will see their ideas on a national stage. And it means UNC basketball is willing to share its platform — not to speak for the community, but to create with it.
A Teaching Moment for Everyone
For the kids, the lesson was clear: your voice matters. Your ideas matter. You belong here.
For the players, the takeaway was just as powerful. Basketball may open doors, but impact is defined by what you do once you walk through them.
For the program, it reaffirmed something UNC fans have long believed — that Carolina basketball, at its best, stands for more than wins.
Something That Stays With You
As the event wrapped up, designs were presented, photos were taken, and smiles filled the room. The Tar Heels eventually stood up, said their goodbyes, and headed back to campus. Practice awaited. Film to watch. Another game to prepare for.
But something lingered in that gym long after they left.
A sense that something meaningful had happened. That relationships had been strengthened. That kids had been seen and heard.
What happens when UNC basketball hands the pen to local kids?
Something special takes shape — not just on paper, but in hearts, memories, and a community that knows its team truly belongs to it.
