Junior NBA programme begins in Kochi

: The second year of the Reliance Foundation Junior NBA programme - a joint initiative of the Reliance Foundation and the National Basketball Association (NBA), got underway at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here today with a 'Train the Trainers' programme.
After a successful first year, the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program is expanding to eight cities this year- Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Chennai, Delhi, Kochi, Kottayam, Kolkata and Mumbai.
The programme in Kerala will include a 'train the trainer programme', in-school basketball sessions, elite training camps and a city final featuring shooting, 3x3 and 5x5 competitions, a press release said.
Three international NBA-certified coaches will be based in Kerala for three months to oversee the programme, train coaches, work with schools and teach the game to youth across the state.

The programme expects a total of 185 instructors/coaches from as many partner schools to receive ongoing training from the international coaches along with turnkey curriculum to teach the game to the youth.
All local coaches will receive a kit containing resources for them to promote the game in their communities.

It includes an India-specific coaching guide with curriculum for in-school and after-school programmes, basketballs, nets, whistles, cones, air pumps and a Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA poster.
The international coaches will support programme implementation at each school where, ultimately, the local coaches and physical education instructors will conduct weekly basketball-led physical education classes for grades 3-10.

The first year of the programme was conducted in Mumbai, Kochi and Kottayam, engaging more than 140,000 youth, 40 per cent of whom were female, from 225 schools.
The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA initiative is a comprehensive youth basketball program, which uses the positive values of the sport to engage and impact the lives of Indian youth.