LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Students at Bompas Elementary School are getting an early introduction to basketball.
Keirah Simon, left, 6, and Fiona Yendo, 7, are among the students at Bompas Elementary School in Fort Simpson participating in the Steve Nash Youth Basketball program. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo
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Kristen Morrison and Neil Barry, teachers and basketball coaches at Thomas Simpson School, have been offering the Steve Nash Youth Basketball Program to the elementary students since April 16. The program is about getting youth active and interested in basketball at an early age, said Barry.
If students learn the basics of basketball in elementary school they will be better basketball players by the time they are in junior and senior high, he said. Both Barry and Morrison hope some of the youth in the program will join the basketball teams at Thomas Simpson School when they are old enough.
During the program, basketball skills such as dribbling, passing, footwork and shooting are introduced primarily through fun games.
"We do it in a way that's enjoyable," Barry said.
Kindergarten to Grade 6
Morrison and Barry, along with other coaches and members of the high school basketball teams, work with students from kindergarten to Grade 3 on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and with students in Grades 4 to 6 on Thursdays at the same time.
Between 10 to 15 students have been coming to each session. Barry said he can see changes in the students' skill levels every week.
"They are improving a lot," he said.
Some kindergarten students who couldn't get a basket when the program started can now get a ball through the lower nets with proper form.
Making baskets
Students in grades 1 and 2 who couldn't shoot a basket in April are now making baskets on the nets set at 2.7 metres.
"The focus is on performing the skills correctly," said Barry.
The participants learn how to hold the ball like a basketball player and how to shoot and dribble, he said.
The program also gives basketball players from Thomas Simpson School an opportunity to give back to the sport. Their presence also draws in the younger students.
"The younger kids look up to them," said Barry.
The Steve Nash Youth Basketball Program will continue to run in the gym at Bompas Elementary School until May 23.
