Youngsters urged to reach for the sky
Free summer basketball coaching to get kids into sport
Rutherglen and Cambuslang residents are being urged to try out a different sport - and they won’t have to jump through hoops to do it.
The Reach For the Sky basketball group are offering free coaching over the summer months, hoping to inspire youngsters into trying their hand at emulating big-name NBA stars like LeBron James.
They’re aiming to encourage kids to give the sport a shot over the summer, and then carry on playing the sport longterm.
Graham Hunter, Managing Director at Reach for the Sky Basketball, said: “The concept for Summer Streetball first started from conversations between coaches and the basketball academy participants in 2011.
“We were coming up to the end of our lets in local schools and had suggested that the young people use the outdoor basketball courts in their community over the summer holidays.
“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 underused 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.”
Summer Streetball is open to both boys and girls, and will focus on giving the kids coaching in a safe environment.
Reach For The Sky was set up by Graham as a way of getting more youngsters into the sport, and since 2010 it’s worked with over 30,000 people at a grassroots level, trying to provide a path into the sport and giving them programmes and projects to develop their skills.
The programme is funded by the Scottish Government’s People and Communities Fund as well as additional funding from the Robertson Trust, the Rank Foundation and Sported.
For more information about Summer Streetball locations or how to get involved contact Project Co- ordinator Ross Rankin on 07866581569 or at ross@ reachfortheskybasketball.com.
The classes will be held at the Caledonia Centre in Cambuslang every Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm until August 5, at Overton Park every Thursday from 7pm to 9pm and every Friday in Springhall at the sports cage from 5pm to 7pm.