The Lynx played host about 60 kids, ages 6 to 13, from Minneapolis's Hospitality House Youth Directions program Monday for a reading time-out and basketball clinic at Target Center. Head coach Don Zierden and players Noelle Quinn and Shay Murphy read "Salt in His Shoes" as a part of the WNBA's Read to Achieve program.

"I just think that as adults, whether you're coaches or players, successful businessmen, whatever your walk in life, somebody went before us somewhere down the road and taught us life skills," head coach Don Zierden said. "I think we owe it to the young people to try to share that with them; the importance of life skills."

A brief Q&A session about the book followed the reading and prizes were awarded to kids who gave correct answers. Coach Z asked the kids what the moral reasons for the story were as he encouraged a respectful setting where kids listened and took turns responding with answers like "confidence", "patience" and "practice." The kids were then unleashed to exert some energy in a 40-minute mini basketball clinic on the Lynx basketball court.

"I had a blast," Zierden said. "The reason I had a blast is because they don't have any agendas. They don't worry about playing time or shot selection or how many points they get. They just are smiling; they want to have fun. For some of these kids that you deal with, they might not have the greatest day in the world and so if you can give them one hour of smiling and having fun then you feel satisfied."

Coach Z provided the stir-crazy antics to excite the kids, while still managing to keep them from getting out of hand, and Quinn and Murphy helped out by demonstrating their skills and getting to know the kids.

"I think it encourages just having self confidence, never giving up and hard work," said Murphy. "Things are going to be hard but this encourages them to stay at it, have a dream and actually go for it no matter what people say you can or cannot do. I just think it's great."

The Lynx have been very active with working with youth this season, including caravan stops at Minneapolis elementary schools where players and coaches interacted with more than 700 kids. These visits aim to inspire youth in many realms of life, including education, morality, as well as athletics.

"I think it's a great program," Murphy said. "It lets the kids know that we're just like them. We have our own time, we need to struggle, we didn't always have the best shoes, but if believe in yourself and let them know that they can make it the way we made it."

The WNBA's Read to Achieve program is a year-round literacy program that aims to help young people develop a lifelong love for reading. It is the most extensive educational outreach initiative in the history of professional sports, according to the WNBA website.