NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen's Women's Basketball Worldwide) - Seeing is believing, so as an aspiring young baller with a legend of the women's game standing in front of you, it can surely only act as an inspiration.

Naturally, this was a theory I already strongly subscribed to, but was still intrigued to see how the recently-appointed FIBA Europe Women's ambassadors would be able to make a difference in practice in their new roles.

At the EuroLeague Women Final Eight in Ekaterinburg, I opted to go and find out. It was a combination of journalistic curiosity, but most of all, the women's basketball fan inside me unashamedly making it impossible to resist an afternoon with some greats of the European game.

Within minutes of seeing Edwige Lawson-Wade, Hana Horakova and Ilona Korstin go to work with the young girls on the court at the UMMC Academy, it was reiterated to me just how important it is for young women to have these kind of role models.

The way that the girls revelled in being alongside the legends was palpable. Afterwards, the smiles and time that they wanted to spend getting autographs, photos and talking to them was astonishing.

Most pleasurable of all was the presence of Natasa Kovacevic, the talented Serbian whose career was prematurely ended last year after sustaining life-changing injuries in a road traffic accident.

She was recently confirmed as the FIBA Europe Youth Ambassador because of the stoic way she has dealt with (and still is dealing with) what fate so cruelly threw at her.

I didn't bring it up or discuss it with her (and could be completely wrong), but I imagine Natasa might have felt like she didn't necessarily deserve to be on the same court as her three colleagues, or maybe even in the same company while at the Academy.

It would be understandable. Twelve months ago, she was still a youth player herself and would have been just like those young girls - looking up to Korstin, Horakova and Lawson-Wade.

But the reality is that barely any of those Russian players will carve out a professional career and therefore having someone as a role model who was once in their shoes, but then had to deal with an unimaginably difficult challenge in her life was very, very important.

Natasa proved to be hugely popular on the day and actually won the award for having the longest queue for photographs. She will no doubt grow in confidence in her role and for me at least (and I am sure for her fellow ambassadors) she is the most powerful role model of all - not just for teenage girls, but for all of us.

Then the following day, the incomparable Amaya Valdemoro arrived and revealed that she grew up without any female players as role models.

For the future health of the women's game, it's hugely important we have people like the ambassadors who are given the platform to change this. Youngsters must know there are professional women athletes out there who can they look up to. Social media and the web means accessibility and the opportunity to promote women's basketball has never been greater.

It is therefore quite infuriating that in my own home country, the best British player in Johannah Leedham has barely been utilised. She still doesn't command the kind of role model and ambassadorial status that she deserves and more to the point, that young aspiring players deserve.

She should have a busy summer promoting the sport ahead of her and building of relationships with clubs and the best young players coming through the ranks. Even when the funding gravy boat was flowing in the UK, there was still nothing substantial in place for her. I just wish someone would see how important the Tango Bourges guard could be to the development of the game in the UK and sort it out.

You see, women's basketball needs its legends and leading players to be ambassadors, whether retired or active. But, they need governing bodies and national federations to step up to the plate.

There is also scope for a much stronger network of former women's players who have moved into successful careers outside of the sport. For example, I recently met with former Fenerbahce player Sukran Albayrak - someone who now works for the Turkish media and I'm sure she's also the kind of person that youngsters would enjoy meeting and talking to at events.

Developing the women's game isn't only about the length of the player's shorts or merely the calendar of events at the elite level.

One day we might actually wake up and realise that there is a social responsibility to support young women and we are only just beginning to genuinely scratch the surface.

It's wonderful that progress is being made and I loved seeing the fine work of the ambassadors.

But in far too many cases, paying lip-service and talking a good game about supporting women's basketball and specifically young players is still deemed to be good enough.

Well, it's not. 

Paul Nilsen

FIBA

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