The
Crusader Foundation began their basketball project in Canley last week
which involves introducing youngsters under the age of 18 to the game,
with the hope that long term results will see unearthed talent added
into the prospective Coventry and Warwickshire Youth Basketball League.
The
project, which will be funded by the City Council’s Youth Opportunity
grant scheme, is aimed at trying to educate young basketball beginners
organisational and team building skills.
Opportunities will be available to achieve the England Basketball
Accredited Young Leaders Award which would then enable participants to
build upon their knowledge of basketball by being given the chance to
achieve an England Level One Coaching Award, which in turn progresses to
further advanced levels.
Three
sessions are held per week, with two outdoor activities taking place at
Queen Margaret’s Road, Coventry, on Mondays and Saturdays from
1-3pm. This is accompanied by an indoor session, which will commence
when schools return form their summer break, and will take place just
down the road from the outdoor sessions at
Westwood School on Wednesdays at 5-7:30pm.
5pm until
6pm is an open session, and from 6pm onwards a private club session will
take place.
“This is
an introductory thing that teaches them about what it means to organise
sessions as a coach, but also how you organise a club team” explained
Crusader Foundation director Scott Neely.
“So what
I’m trying to do is mentor them to grow as coaches, but also to
potentially come together and form their own club”.
“The
hope for me is that with this youth league that’s starting up, and we’re
getting a lot of kids playing in that area, then that will then filter
into and maybe join up with this youth league that’s going” added Neely,
who sees entering children in the Coventry and Warwickshire Basketball
League as a way of sustaining basketball when the Youth Opportunity
grant runs out in March 2010..
Story courtesy of Adam Manning (Crusaders Reporter)
.gif)
