Austin Ainge traveled to Mexico City earlier this month as part of the NBA's Basketball without Borders program. It was a chance for him to make a difference and spread word on the game he loves.

"You immediately see how good we have it in the U.S.," said Ainge, coach of the Maine Red Claws.

Ainge participated in the four-day trip Aug. 6-9 with NBA players Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks, and Samuel Dalembert and Willie Green of the Philadelphia 76ers.

His background in basketball is well established: He's the son of Boston Celtics legend Danny Ainge, a former player at Brigham Young University and chosen this summer to be the first head coach of Portland's new NBA Development League franchise.

His background in community service is less known: Ainge spent two years on a mission with the Mormon Church in the Dominican Republic before college. He's fluent in Spanish, and he jumped at the opportunity to go to Mexico.

"I love the Latin culture," Ainge said. "The food, the culture."

Red Claws president and general manager Jon Jennings said Ainge's interest in giving back was a primary reason for his hire.

Jennings himself believes strongly in volunteering. He's spent time teaching basketball camps around the country and world. One of the most memorable trips he's made was to Bosnia in 1996, just after the end of the war there.

"The children had been cooped up for years because of the sniper fighting," Jennings said. "There's a lot of athletes and coaches who feel really passionate about this work. In sports there is this really unique opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child. It really is a part of who we are."

The Basketball without Borders program is part community outreach, part basketball camp. Camps also are being conducted this summer in Beijing and Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ainge said he was moved at a Mexican orphanage after meeting children who had been abandoned, and again in talking to gang members at a local community center.

"They shared some stories that were pretty crazy," Ainge said. "It felt really good to help."

He described Mexico City, some 7,000 feet above sea level, as beautiful, but with significant poverty that was very visible.

His ability to explore was limited. The group was escorted by police everywhere they went because of the danger in the drug trade that exists. Still, Ainge said, it was quite an experience.

Much of his trip was spent teaching basketball to some of the top players in Latin America and South America.

The players chosen to attend the camp are selected by the NBA and the International Basketball Federation, many of whom are very talented.

"There are some real legit players there," Ainge said. "They were all so willing to learn. If we're not careful in the U.S. other countries are going to pass us in basketball."

Ainge said instruction was lengthy. He would explain things in English. Then Spanish. But he was grateful he did not need to rely on a translator.

"It took forever to get everything out," Ainge said. "But I felt I was able to build a good relationship with them by the end of the week."

Ainge traveled to South Africa last year as part of the Basketball without Borders program.

When he begins coaching Portland's D-League team in November, Jennings believes Ainge's experience and commitment to community service will inspire players and fans alike.

"I made it very clear to him that our ownership really wants the team to make a difference in the community," Jennings said. "He's totally on board with that."