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The summer camp at Grace Academy

The camp is being run by Coventry Crusaders, the Coventry Sports Centre based basketball team. The teams head coach Scott Neely is the man in charge of teaching the youngsters new skills.

Almost 40 youngsters, aged 8 to 18, turned up each day for the camp. The three-day intensive course will see kids learn all the skills they need to become an accomplished basketball player, from dribbling and shooting to defending and passing. Through encouraging the youngsters to keep playing the Crusaders team are also helping the children lead a healthy lifestyle.

The coaches are optimistic about the chances of the kids carrying on the sport.

Neely said: 鈥淗opefully one day we will see some of these young people playing for the Crusaders men鈥檚 team.鈥�

Playing basketball

Though basketball is pre-dominantly a male-orientated sport there was a surprising amount of young girls, keen to learn the sport at the camp.

Grace Academy

The camp is based at Grace Academy, formerly Woodway Park School, somewhere the Crusaders have always had good links with.

Neely, who hails from Indiana, said: 鈥淲e do a lot of coaching here and at some of the primaries around the area, so it鈥檚 been a great partnership and Grace Academy has been great in that partnership too.鈥�

It鈥檚 encouraging to see the Crusaders getting out there and promoting their sport to young people, especially in some of the city's less privileged areas.

The camp is a great way to be introduced to a new sport and is an essential way to get young people interested in the game.

Neely added: 鈥淗aving proper camps where people see that, yeah they do improve, is going to make a huge impact.鈥�

New League

Excitingly Crusaders have just partnered with the Warwickshire Basketball Association, which already runs a local adult league, to organise a Coventry and Warwickshire Youth basketball league, starting in September.

Getting tips on the game

The Crusaders are entering under-12s and 14s mixed teams into this thrilling new league. While team鈥檚 numbers are yet to be confirmed, Neely said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be great and we are really looking forward to getting the young people on board."

While not every child will want to play competitive basketball, Neely is confident:

鈥淭here are a large number of young people here, who will continue to play out in the parks and the community, but it鈥檚 important for us clubs to get to know and build relationships with those communities.鈥�

Seeing the youngsters turn up at the camp everyday knowing they have chosen to attend is what makes it worthwhile for coaches such as Neely, who said: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we thrive upon. The coaches were talking yesterday and what really drives us to see them make that little bit of improvement and to see their enjoyment from the sport we all love.鈥�