Soar Magazine visited Hazel Primary School in Leicester to see some of the great work that Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders are doing in the community as part of the nationwide Hoops 4 Health initiative.

Headed up by the British Basketball League, Hoops 4 Health is a national programme designed to get school children playing basketball and learning about healthy eating, fitness and the harmful effects of smoking.

Regular first team player, Isaac Westbrooks and former Rider, Mikey Martin, were two of the coaches that attended the school. Mikey, who now plays for Leicester Warriors, but is still heavily involved with the Riders’ programme due to his experience and knowledge of Hoops 4 Health, gave a brief explanation.

“We come into all the different schools. This is one of the inner city ones we do. It starts off with the roadshow today, which involves four coaches taking sessions on healthy eating, heart and fitness, facts about smoking and basketball.

“Then it continues with more basketball coaching and tournaments, leading to an Inter-City tournament. It’s a national programme so eventually all the winning teams go into the national tournament. At the BBL Championship Final weekend in May, the winning teams from each area compete against each other.”

Sessions take place inside schools and are divided into four sections, with players from the club working on one each. The basketball station is a basic introduction to the sport and includes skills like the bounce pass, chest pass, dribbling and shooting. The healthy eating station focuses on eating a variety of foods, plenty of fruit and vegetables and not too much fat.

The smoking cessation station provides the children with facts and figures about smoking, including that one out of ten 11 to 15-year-olds are regular smokers. In the fitness station, the player leads a group discussion about the heart, explaining its main functions and how often you should exercise.

Mikey reveals how other elements of the programme get a reaction from the kids.

“Smoking is probably the most difficult one as there are quite a lot of facts. We have big posters highlighting all the damage that smoking can cause. There are a lot of props, so it’s like shock and awe as well as having a bit of fun with them.

“You get some funny faces and some disgusted looks, but at the end of the day the kids appreciate what you’re trying to do and they realise how disgusting smoking is.”

After each roadshow, the Riders ensure ongoing development at the school. This involves further basketball coaching to develop core skills and promote physical activity.

Mikey has noticed that many of the schools have maintained an interest in the sport and a lot of the children have carried on playing basketball and started following the Riders.

“We’ve already visited most of the schools in the county now. There wasn’t much basketball provision when we first came so we brought in basketballs. Now a lot of schools in the county have the same balls and equipment that we have.

“When I was in my first year at University and went to watch the Riders, there was hardly anybody there, nowhere near the following that’s building now. I guess it’s the snowball effect of getting kids involved.”

Isaac Westbrooks agreed.

“Throughout the year I see different kids get more into in. At the start they’ll be into it and then they’ve got a basketball. The next time they’ve got a basketball and a jersey. It’s great because they get into it on a personal level as well as just coming to watch us play.”

A regular starter in the Riders first team, the 25-year-old guard explained what he and the other players gain from their involvement.

“It’s definitely fun. I’ve been coaching a long time and grew up coaching in Ireland, so I have a lot of time for kids. It’s great to come in and get the chance to speak to the kids about healthy living, the heart and fitness, and they enjoy the basketball section too.

“I know we’re pretty big in the community and a lot of our fanbase is made up of kids. It’s great for us to show our faces in the schools and gives the kids that personal level for when they come to watch the games.”

Isaac sees basketball as a great game for kids to play inside and outside of school and ideal for inner city areas where playing fields and open spaces are at a premium.

“Some of the schools we go into don’t have all the equipment. They don’t have the baskets, courts, or large open spaces. Really, all we need are a couple of basketballs and a gym, an open space or a hall to make it fun for the kids and do different exercises and activities. It is definitely a good sport for the kids to get into and they all seem to really enjoy it, which is great.”

For more information on Hoops 4 Health visit www.leicesterriders.co.uk