In addition to other ongoing ventures in North Africa, Global Sports Partners has placed an under-16 boys club basketball coach in Algeria. The team was formed in the fall of 2012 and recently completed its second year of competition together. In the past two years, all players have shown tremendous improvement in both basic basketball technique as well as team strategies: spacing on the court, movement without the ball, and the fundamentals of man-to-man defense. As the players have progressed, they have increasingly played "team basketball" rather than simply focusing on their individual skills.
Saudi Youth Sports Initiative Phase II
June 2014 brought the conclusion of Phase II of the Saudi Youth Sports Initiative (SYSI) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. SYSI Phase II continued the "train the trainers" curriculum begun last year, instructing new basketball and football coaches and conducting boys camps in both sports. Three weeks of instruction and training took place between 8-26 June 2014, with all sessions held at beautiful Faisal Zahid Sports Park in Jeddah.
Basketball Referee Training
Global Sports Partners (GSP) is pleased to share an inspiring story of sport development from earlier this year. We believe it is possible to cross barriers and bring hope in every location and context, and we are proud to partner with local organizations who seek to improve their country's culture of health, wellness, and sport. In many countries women's sport has low levels of participation, and this particular initiative addressed the lack of qualified female basketball referees available for local competition.
IBCE 2014
Earlier this month, Global Sports Partners welcomed 10 basketball coaches to Dallas, Texas, for the 4th annual International Basketball Coaches Experience (IBCE). The attending coaches represented the countries of Brazil (3), China (5), Jordan (1), and Mongolia (1). Coaches enjoyed two days of basketball clinics and instruction, one day of cultural experiences, and attendance at the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Convention and a college all-star game.
AJSS Basketball Camp
Global Sports Partners is pleased to support an exciting youth basketball camp taking place 12-14 March 2014 in Settat, Morocco. L'Association de la Jeunesse Sportive de Settat (AJSS), or the Settat Youth Sports Association, is conducting its inaugural camp "under the auspices of the Royal Moroccan Basketball Federation and in collaboration with the Delegation of the Ministry of Youth and Sport."
GSP + Elevate Basketball Academy
Beginning 1 February 2014, Elevate Sports-India, in partnership with Global Sports Partners, is proud to offer a new, one-of-a-kind basketball academy across the great city of Mumbai, India. Throughout the intial three-year partnership, Elevate Sports will administer the academy and GSP will provide basketball expertise, train and mentor Indian coaches, and oversee all basketball operations. The aim of the basketball academy is "to produce skilled, motivated, athletic players who thrive and grow in the competitive arena." The training will emphasize individual skill development while also teaching fitness, diet, and conditioning principles.
Former WNBA Player at Baghdad Youth Camp
The orphans came from all over the vast city of Baghdad, Iraq. About 15 girls and 25 boys ages 10-18 arrived at 8am Sunday morning, 23rd June 2013, eager to seize the opportunity to engage in sport and games at a well-known sports club! They had never been afforded such an opportunity, both to enjoy the sports club facilities and to interact with experienced American PE teachers and coaches, including Brittany Wilkins, a former WNBA player! This sports camp was coordinated by GSP in partnership with MRDS, an NGO with a contract to teach English to children from a local orphanage.
Saudi Youth Sports Intiative
Arriving early for each session, GSP Football and Basketball experts Gregg Schroeder, Adam Bush, and Ian Hughes devoted plenty of personal time to interact with the campers and enjoyed getting to know and understand a bit about the life circumstances of many of them. All of the youth were enthusiastic and very grateful that Global Sports Partners would bring coaches to their neighborhood to conduct such a camp. The camps were made possible through the cooperative partnership between GSP and Jeddah United Sports Club and their assistance in preparing for this event. Promoting fair play and good sportsmanship, the theme for the camps was, “Say ‘no’ to bad sportsmanship”.