Hoops in Schools basketball reaches Tamatea High

Tall Black Jarrod Kenny runs a coaching session with students at Tamatea High School.

The tired and broken basketball hoops at Tamatea High School have been replaced by brand new hoops as part of the Hoops in Schools project.

Tamatea High School is one of three Hawke's Bay schools to have hoops installed in this round.

Basketball Hawke's Bay general manager Chris McIvor, along with Tall Black Jarrod Kenny and New Zealand junior representative Rosalia Samia, visited the school for the official opening of the hoops.

"The new hoops are proving popular with students and members of the community who are using them before, during and after school," says Tamatea High School acting principal Nigel Groom.

Basketball is a popular sport at the school and, with the addition of these hoops, it is expected that interest in the game will increase dramatically, Nigel says.

"The school simply could not afford these facilities on our very tight budget, so we are extremely grateful to Basketball New Zealand, Basketball Hawke's Bay and the Lions Foundation for providing this opportunity."

The aim of the project is to support the growth of the sport. As part of the official Hoops in Schools Launch for Hawke's Bay, there was a small school roadshow held which included some giveaways for the school and students plus a short coaching session with Jarrod and Rosalia, who worked with students taking them through some drills and skills.

Jarrod addressed a group of students and spoke about how outdoor community hoops helped with his skill development and fostered his love of the game. He hopes that by having outdoor hoops at the school others will also develop their skills and passion for basketball. The Tamatea High School students responded well to his messages and coaching.

"If even one student is inspired to follow their dreams and work hard to get there then that is a win," Nigel says.

Basketball Hawke's Bay is keen to continue working in partnership with the school to support the development of the game. The aim is to support those students who are interested in playing basketball by providing the necessary resources.

"Having Basketball Hawke's Bay working with us to sharpen our delivery of the sport will strengthen the game at our school and ultimately at the local, regional and national levels," says the school's Head of PE, Ken Bolland.