New basketball course will help city youngsters reach new heights

Youngsters in the West Midlands will have more opportunities to reach new heights thanks to the launch of a male and female basketball education programme that combines sport with academic learning.

Coventry College has joined forces with the city’s largest basketball club Coventry Tornadoes to deliver a bespoke academic basketball programme for school leavers aged 16–18 from September 2023.

The college has been running rugby and football education programmes for the last 18 years in partnership with organisations across the city, and staff hope the new initiative will provide a unique learning offer based on a sport that is played weekly by around 1.2 million UK under 16s, according to Basketball England.

The basketball provision will be delivered by Paul Adams, who was named West Midlands Coach of the year in 2023, along with other qualified coaches at Coventry Tornadoes, with the opportunity to enrol on full time Level 2 and 3 Sport courses delivered by expertise qualified lecturers at the Alan Higgs Centre in Coventry.

Paul said: “Tornadoes is the largest basketball club in the Coventry area with over 400 members and 17 teams competing in local, regional and national leagues, and we are very proud to be the official partner of Coventry College, who offer great provision across their sport study programmes.

“Our aim is to support the growth of students at Coventry College and develop the players’ knowledge and understanding while improving skills and competing in the AOC Sport colleges league.

“Students will also have the opportunity to obtain bespoke coaching and officiating qualifications, providing a fantastic opportunity to support local clubs in the community, and we are looking forward to getting started.”

Pete Glackin, Head of Rugby, Sports Development & Academies Manager at Coventry College, said: “We are thrilled to be adding another provision to the Academy of Sport at Coventry College. We currently offer a fantastic experience across our rugby union and football provision and are very much looking forward to adding basketball to our overall offering, making use of the high-quality facilities at the Alan Higgs Centre.

“This new partnership with Paul and Coventry Tornadoes represents another chance for Coventry College to support and guide youngsters to excel in a sport they enjoy and are passionate about while picking up qualifications and gaining important life skills.

“We’d love to hear from any aspiring basketball players who are committed to their development both on and off the court, through learning, personal development, and being surrounded by others who share their passion.”