Photo: Savenaca (left) posing for a photo at LDS Primary School

Suva (Fiji) - Basketball Fiji's (BF) Hoops For Health program at the Latter Day Saints (LDS) Primary School has made a profound impact on the students of the school and also one of the teachers, Batisaresare Savenaca.

Savenaca, a Year 6 teacher at LDS helps out BF in delivering their Hoops For Health program in the school.

"I am a teacher of Year 6 at LDS Primary School and my class is taking the Hoops for Health program. I normally supervise and help the coaches during the program," he said.

The 41-year old teacher was proud to share that LDS is one of the schools with a basketball court in Suva.

"We are one of the few primary schools that has a basketball court and our kids have come to learn and know about the sport before the program started but I can see that there is more to learn for the kids," Savenaca said.

Savenaca praised the program and the competency of the coaches in teaching the game to the youth.

"It is funny because I always ask the kids who already know the game of basketball and they say to me, "I didn’t know I was doing it wrong until coach showed me the proper way to shoot or pass or dribble,” he said.

"I am a firm believer in continuous learning and not only in the classroom. The program provides that for the kids in my class," he shared.

Photo: Basketball Fiji's Bula Hoops program

The Fijian native also discussed the inclusion of health messaging in the program and how it has impacted some of his students.

"The coaches teach them new skills and different health themes every session and as we reflect on what we learn back in the classroom they seem to learn something new every session, this is showing that the coaches are doing a great job with the kids," he shared.

With his positive experience and belief with the Federation's programs, Savenaca even enrolled his daughter to BF's Bula Hoops.

"I believe in the positive impact that sports have on students and after seeing the benefit that the Hoops for Health program had on the kids, I enrolled my daughter into the after-school basketball program (Bula Hoops) because she is active and I know will be able to learn new things about basketball which can help her with keeping fit and healthy," he happily shared.

The Hoops for Health program under the Basketball For Good strategy of Basketball Fiji is supported by the Australian Government through the Pacific Sports Partnerships, and FIBA's Foundation, the International Basketball Foundation.

FIBA