Natalie Leist

Hi my name is Natalie Leist and I'm happy to be a member of the Hoops 4 Hayastan team. I was born and raised near San Francisco, CA and went to college in Los Angeles. Sports have always been a huge part of my life and I've been lucky enough to turn that passion into a career as a Content Curator at Bleacher Report. Although my sister and I are half Armenian, we grew up immersed in our Armenian culture and have been involved in our close-knit Armenian community for many years. I fell in love with the game of basketball at a very young age, thanks to my dad, and have played for Homenetmen in SF and Pasadena. I have traveled to Armenia to play basketball at the Pan-Homenetmen games in 2013 and Pan-Armenian games in 2015. Being a part of these organizations and experiences has made me see the importance in giving back to my motherland. Being a part of Hoops 4 Hayastan allows me to combine my love for basketball and Armenia in order to make a difference in the lives of our youth. Being able to give our kids the simple joys of dribbling a ball, putting on a fresh pair of sneakers and seeing the smiles on their faces is an invaluable reward for the work we do at H4H. I know that through our passion for basketball, our country and our culture, Hoops 4 Hayastan will always strive to create a better Armenia and I'm excited to be a part of it.