On Saturday mornings, groups of men play on basketball teams in the Ramona Gardens gymnasium. Some are Latino, from the neighborhood; others are African American, from elsewhere. In many parts of Los Angeles, two races playing together may not seem unusual. But in Ramona Gardens, it represents enormous progress.

On a Friday evening in Ramona Gardens, the public housing development, a group of mothers watched their daughters in matching green T-shirts.

While beating the odds of growing up in a low-income housing development, the girls from Troop 70013 work hard at learning to relate to others, developing values and contributing to their communities.

The first-ever Girl Scout Troop in Watts has been developed in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department and Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.

Conceived in 2012 and coached by LAPD officers Keith Mott, Cesar Rivera, Sergio Sanchez and Grant Goosby, the activity provides an outlet for kids who may not have had the chance to play football otherwise.

There are several layers to youth football. Learning the fundamentals of the game; building a strong work ethic to achieve a goal; working as part of a team instead of being an individual; learning how to deal with the ups and downs of winning and losing.

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