Prince Williamis shooting his shot!
The Prince of Wales, 41, had a busyMondayandTuesdaytouring six spots around the U.K. that will serve as flagship locations forHomewards, the royal’s new initiative to combat homelessness. For his final stop, William headed to Reach Up Youth in Sheffield put a spotlight on how sports can connect young people with their communities, encouraging engagement and boosting peer support to prevent homelessness.
Prince William couldn’t resist trying his hand at basketball during the visit. With a few factors working against him — including inadequate sports wear (he was wearing a blazer!) and a gym full of watchers — he missed the first two shots. William took a few steps closer to the hoop for his third attempt, hitting the backboard and bouncing around the rim before falling through the net to cheers from the crowd. He raised his arms in the arm in excitement along with those watching.
“Thank God,” Prince William said with a laugh after making the shot.
Prince William and his wife,Kate Middleton, are known to occasionally show off their competitive sides during royal outings — sometimes against each other! During a visit to Wales in February, the couplehopped on spin bikes for a quick contest, with the Princess of Wales proving victorious (despite wearing a skirt and heeled boots).
William is also known to enjoy soccer games in his free time, particularly his favorite team, Aston Villa.
In fact, Aston Villa player Tyrone Mings joined Prince William in Sheffield on Tuesday.
Tyrone Mings and Prince William play basketball on June 27.Cameron Smith/Getty
Cameron Smith/Getty
Mings, 30, is supporting Prince William’s initiative to end homelessness after experiencing it firsthand as a child.
“We went through a period of turbulence, instability and were rehoused in an emergency accommodation facility. And, as children, we were probably much more adaptable than adults are, but it brought us together. It was definitely a period that was unstable, it was a struggle, it was unnerving at times,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today show, according toThe Guardian.
“What was the accommodation like? Scary, for sure, for a child to be in an environment where laundry services are communal," he added.
Prince William plays basketball on June 27.Cameron Smith/Getty
The Prince of Wales' just launched project hopes to make homelessness “rare, brief and unrepeated,” but his interest in the cause is nothing new.
He visitedThe Passageshelter when he was 11 when his mom Princess Diana brought him and his brotherPrince Harry. Like his mom, William became a patron ofCentrepoint, another homeless charity (even joining their sleep-out in London in 2009).
“The visits we made, left adeep and lasting impression,” said William on Monday. “I met so many extraordinary people and listened to so many heart-breaking personal stories. Too many people have found themselves without a stable and permanent place to call home.”
“Through these visits, I have seen first-hand the breadth and complexities of homelessness,” he added.
Prince William visits Belfast as part of Homewards launch tour on June 27.Liam McBurney - Pool/Getty Images
Liam McBurney - Pool/Getty Images
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“On the school run,we talk about what we see.Driving backwards and forwards [in London], we regularly used to see people sitting outside supermarkets, and we’d talk about it,” William toldThe Sunday Timesin a recent interview.
source: people.com
