High hoops for free summer coaching
Reach for the Sky Basketball is offering six weeks of free summer streetball coaching over the summer holidays, in seven different locations throughout South Lanarkshire.
The sessions are open to boys and girls of all ages, and they take place throughout July and August.
Coaching will be available in Eddlewood on Thursdays from July 7 to August 11, from 6pm-8pm.
Players can also go to Whitehill or High Blantyre Park on Saturdays from July 2 to August 6, from 7pm to 9pm.
Summer streetball is funded by the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Fund, with additional cash from the Robertson Trust, the Rank Foundation and Sported.
Managing director Graham Hunter says the aim is to provide a fun and safe environment for all to use the basketball courts and receive top-class coaching, all free of charge.
Graham said: “The concept for Summer Streetball first started from conversations between coaches and the basketball academy participants in 2011.
“After a community consultation, feedback identified that basketball courts located within communities were not being utilised to their full potential.
“To combat this, Reach for the Sky teamed up with the local authority and the police’s Community Partnership Fund to pilot and design ‘Summer Streetball’, which aims to utilise these under-used areas but also to encourage future use by providing a fun, welcoming atmosphere for young people to take part in free sport within the community.
“We hope to not only offer a short-term summer programme, but a pathway to long-term participation as each person will have the opportunity to then get involved in our Basketball Development Academies, as well as other projects and programmes.
“Reach for the Sky Basketball positively encourages young people, both socially and economically, and provides opportunities and pathways through basketball projects and programmes.
“It aims to ensure basketball development in South Lanarkshire is affordable, accessible and well coached.”
The programme continues to run in partnership with the local authority and in partnership with three youth groups – Communities Unite in East Kilbride, Eddlewood Youth Group in Hamilton and the Circuit Youth Group in Cambuslang.
Since being established in 2010, it has worked with over 40,000 young people and has built a comprehensive grassroots community sport structure that integrates not only with the local authority but also local and national partners.
Graham continued: “This is our sixth year running the project, which has seen growth each year in terms of participation, with 254 participants taking part last summer.
“The sessions are fun, safe, welcoming, and you can come along and join in, no matter what your previous experience is of playing basketball. It’s a great way to get active and meet new friends.”
To get involved, call 01355 458183 or email graham@ reachfortheskybasketball.com.