CashBack School of Basketball
After a partnership was initiated between CashBack for Communities and, basketballscotland in 2008, the national governing body created the CashBack School of Basketball programme. This has the aim of utilising basketball to make a significant contribution to the development of disadvantaged young people.
With learning taking place both inside and outside of the classroom, it allowed young people to not only improve their basketball skills and physical abilities, but also their social skills such as their communication, confidence, discipline and respect.
“The partnership between basketballscotland and CashBack for Communities has evolved through the investment phases as the directive from the funder has developed. Despite not personally being there from the start, the partnership in its early days supported young people and our basketball community on a mass scale, which served a great purpose. As we progressed into Phase 4, we were tasked with making a greater positive impact by working with over 800 young people and 19 partnerships. We have then taken the approach for Phase 5 that we wanted to support young people who needed our help the most to a greater extent. This is why we have the programme we have today.” – Adam Szymoszowskyj, National Development Manager.
In the summer of 2020, CashBack for Communities moved into Phase Five of their investment cycle and with it brought an evolution to the CashBack School of Basketball Programme. basketballscotland will now focus on 64 young people from 4 schools in areas with high levels of deprivation and crime. A key outcome of the programme is to reduce anti-social behaviour in these communities. The thinking behind a smaller programme is to make a greater positive impact on each young person.
Each School of Basketball is led by a basketballscotland Basketball Social Impact Officer, who will be based at the school. Their aim is to help young people fall in love with basketball. This passion for basketball will engage the young people in the programme where they will receive one-to-one and small group support to make positive life choices; improve their attendance and attainment at school; gain new qualifications and skills; improve both their physical and mental wellbeing; and, positively engage in their community.
During Phase Five, the CashBack School of Basketball programme has five key themes/pillars of support for each young person:
- Basketball Sessions – Aiming to increase physical skills, health, and positively impacting on attendance and attainment within school.
- Individualised Development Planning Support – One-to-one support to develop plans and support young people to overcome any life barriers.
- Mental Wellbeing – Increase the young people’s understanding of and attention to their own and others mental wellbeing, through partnership with Scottish Association for Mental Health and True Athlete Project.
- Skills Development – CashBack School of Basketball will support each young person to gain additional skills and SCQF qualifications to enhance opportunities for them to reach positive goals. We will also develop volunteering opportunities in the community.
- Community Development: The programme will work with the young people to develop and deliver projects which have a positive impact on their community. This will develop a ‘sense of belonging’ for young people in their communities.
The Young People will be supported for three years, with the hope that the skills they learn will have a positive impact on their lives, and those around them. In addition, we would like the enthusiasm and passion they develop for basketball to lead them to stay involved in basketball and help our community learn from their journey through the CashBack School of Basketball programme.
