The Maraenui School year 5/6 Basketball players have gone from not playing to top of the podium in 6 months as part of the Basketball Ignite programme.

Basketball Ignite aims to break down 2 key barriers to participation – coaching and funding. With the support of KiwiSport funding the journey started in term 1 with Community Coaches Everard Barlett and Madison King running a weekly session for students interested in playing.

In term 2 players were ready to compete and entered the local competition with ongoing support from the Community Coaches with continued weekly training and coaching support at games.

The final steps of the programmes is to finish building coach capability and hand the coaching reigns over to the school. This is achieved by working alongside a school coach who has been transitioned into game day coaching.

Basketball Hawkes Bay will work with the school on funding support mechanisms going forward.

Basketball Hawkes Bay General Manager Chris McIvor highlighted the light bulb moment for this project “Our team were investigating schools without teams in our competitions and started to ask questions. Ultimately barriers come to life and discussion led to how can we break them down. Even transport is an option to fund if required as part of this project”.

Basketball Hawkes Bay would like Sport Hawkes Bay via KiwiSport and Trust House for their support of Basketball Ignite.

Picture: Maraenui School winning the Division4 Napier Year 5/6 title this week