At the recent ‘Connect In’ event held at Birmingham University, hundreds of children, who have been trained by the YST and supported by their teachers to be ‘Connectors’ – ambassadors for social integration – had the opportunity to play a variety of Commonwealth sports including basketball.
On hand to deliver the basketball sessions was City of Birmingham Rockets Basketball Club coach Ricardo D’Alva.
Shoot for the stars ✨some excellent dribbling and shooting skills shown by young people as they were supported by @bballengland. We can't wait to see what you will achieve #BirminghamConnect. pic.twitter.com/WCwlYbbMaZ
— Youth Sport Trust (@YouthSportTrust) March 24, 2022
Originally from Portugal, D’Alva works 65 hours a week at the Rockets, giving up many of his evenings and weekends to coach basketball because he loves to help people.
The YST event also socially connected 14 different schools from across the city, encouraging meaningful social mixing amongst pupils to improve attitudes and perceptions held of people from different backgrounds.
Connectors also got the opportunity to hear from several sports professionals including elite athletes, sports managers, development officers and other sporting career professionals to give them a broader understanding of the sporting industry leading up to the Commonwealth Games.
The YST’s ambassadors will now prepare for a ‘Connect WITH’ event in May to deliver sport and physical activity sessions of their choice, as well as try other sports. Eventually, they will take all their experiences and lead two similar events in their schools.
Basketball has the power to change lives. The #GameTime campaign will aim to raise awareness of the positive impact that our sport can have on people no matter who they are or where they are from.
Basketball England aims to engage one million people in basketball via the Commonwealth Games 2022, 3x3 and more.
Whether you want to:
...regardless of age, gender or background, across every part of the basketball family, it's #GameTime!
