School sports: Shooting the hoops goes to historic new level at Academy

Published on 16/10/2012 00:00

Scotland’s Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill MSP, and GB Olympian Kieron Achara have launched the first Scottish School of Basketball at Ardrossan Academy in Ayrshire.

It is the first of its kind in Scotland, forming a key part of basketballscotland’s plan to develop the sport over the next few years. Kevin Pringle, CEO at basketballscotland, said: “This is a pilot project which we expect to provide us with the evidence which will allow us to develop partnerships to deliver schools of basketball throughout Scotland over the coming years”.

Achara added: “I think it is vital that we are focusing development at the grassroots level so our youth are not playing catch-up with the rest of the world when they finally start playing at international level.”

Twenty S1 pupils from Ardrossan Academy will get between six and eight hours of training per week. The programme will support the delivery of the Curriculum for Excellence and will focus on basketball skills, game sense skills, physical competencies, lifestyle management and mental skills. This initiative is supported by money seized from criminals through the CashBack for Communities scheme. Mr MacAskill said: “CashBack programmes improve opportunities. Investing in our young people will always be money well spent”.