Glow in the Dark Wheelchair Basketball is set to brighten courts across the UK as British Wheelchair Basketball and The Lord’s Taverners announce plans to welcome more young people to the sport.
The Sports National Governing Body, British Wheelchair Basketball, together with its network of national wheelchair basketball clubs and The Lord’s Taverners has set a clear goal in 2018 of increasing participation and developing the junior game within the UK.
New for 2018 will be the introduction of Regional Skills Camps. The Camps will take place across the UK and will be hosted regionally during the wheelchair basketball season. The Camps will launch with the first event being the South East Regional Camp on Monday 12 February 2018 at Aldershot Garrison.
The focus of the camps will be to welcome new players to the sport, develop the playing skills of new and existing players, to educate the next generation of wheelchair basketball officials, but most importantly to deliver an environment which is fun and engages young people with the sport.
The camps will engage new players with wheelchair basketball and support their integration into team/club environments, whilst also enabling their development into British Wheelchair Basketball’s established junior and national league competitions.
The one day Regional Skills Camps will also include a Glow in the Dark session. UV sport is an exciting innovative way to encourage young people to participate in new team sports through increasing player confidence and offering an environment where all skills levels can participate.
Jo Richards, Interim CEO of British Wheelchair Basketball is positive about the future of the junior game:
“We have a strong fan base amongst young people, and the Regional Skills Camps will provide an opportunity for players new to the sport to come along and have a go.
“We are also committed to developing a sustainable junior league structure. Crucial to achieving this ambition will be the delivery of the Regional Skills Camps. They will focus on the development of player skills within a friendly peer led environment, we hope to embed within our younger players a fundamental enjoyment of the game and love of the sport.”
Nicky Pemberton, Charitable Programme Director, of Lord’s Taverners shares Jo Richards’ passion to develop the junior game:
“It is an exciting time for wheelchair basketball with the sports increasingly prominent profile through the successes of ParalympicGB teams, and now the sports inclusion at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“We need to look to the future and ensure that we are supporting young people to find the sport, and offering every opportunity for them to access skills development and remove as many barriers to participation as possible.
South East Wheelchair Basketball Skills Camp // Monday 12 February 2018: Further information and booking forms