Los Gatos resident Louis Santoro, 16, who plays on the junior varsity squad, said the project was a good way to support the troops. "It shows them we care," the sophomore added.

Tish Galloway, the Leigh parent who spearheaded the letter-writing project, has a second cousin serving in Iraq. Galloway arranged for representatives from all four branches of the U.S. military to speak to the students before they put pen to paper.

Bill Bonner of the U.S. Air Force told the basketball players that armed forces in Iraq receive 15,000 pounds of mail per day. But according to U.S. Navy Officer Frank Rositas, who served for 13 months in Kuwait, that volume doesn't necessarily translate into bountiful mail calls for all the troops.

"I got one letter the whole time I was out there, from a girl on the East Coast," Rositas told the team members. "I've still got it—it meant the world to me. So write a good letter for the boys overseas now. Give them your support even if you oppose the war. When you write those letters, put your heart in it and give them a good thought."

The military representatives who spoke all stressed that the remaining troops in postwar Iraq are trying to help rebuild the country. "When you're over there, you get to know the people, especially the kids," Rositas said. "We let them know that we're there to help them."

"We don't particularly want them to be like us, to be American," Rositas added. "We just want them to be self-sufficient."

While Galloway said the speakers weren't there as recruiters, her son Nathan, 15, said he appreciated the information they presented. "They gave me more background about what's going on in Iraq," the Leigh hoopster added.

"They kind of reminded me how lucky I am to be here safe at home," said teammate Santoro. "The Army's not really my thing."

The elder Galloway told the team members their letters should reflect what's happening on the home front.

"These are [supposed to be] encouraging letters," she said. "These are to boost morale. [The troops] love to hear about current events. Talk about the basketball team. Write about what music you're listening to or what movies you've seen."

Galloway reminded the players that their letters would be read by the military before being mailed.

The teams' letters will be sent in care packages put together by Operation Mom, a Castro Valley­based support group for family and friends of active military personnel. Galloway said it could take as long as three months for the letters to reach the troops.