Scots game on the rise, says Russel
Perth Phoenix basketball coach Russel Kesson believes the sport is now reaching a wider audience in Scotland.
Supporting the development of the game both on local and national level is now imperative moving forward.
“There is certainly more basketball happening now than I have seen before,”Kesson said.“Hopefully the standard will rise going forwards as more people play the sport.
“Basketball is more accessible through TV and internet now and is an attractive sport to young people so in theory the participation levels should continue to rise, if the funding is in place to support it.
“That is probably the biggest stumbling block at the moment with young people having to cover costs to play for club and country which may prove prohibitive for some.
“As a club we have a fund in place to support young people that may find it difficult to participate due to costs.
“Having repeatedly produced players that are selected to Scotland squads, it is important that we continue to support the growth of the sport however we can.”
Kesson has been involved with the Scottish national set-up for a decade but is taking a back seat this year. He is not ruling out a return and said:“I am not involved with the national squad this year but have thoroughly enjoyed coaching Scotland at different youth levels over the past 10 years.
“I hope one day to return and to do so Perth Phoenix’s Under-16 squad won promotion to the National League Division One last week, much to the delight of Kesson when the timing for me is right. “I have had many positive experiences representing Scotland and had the chance to meet players and coaches from across Europe. “Basketball has provided me with many opportunities to travel to different countries and experience different cultures and I have learned some invaluable lessons from these trips.”