Bringing back Seychelles Basketball’s lost glory: FIBA Foundation Youth Leader Jana Malbrook outlines her vision

MAHÉ (Seychelles) – From Youth Leader to President of a National Basketball Federation within a year, 28-year-old Jana Malbrook’s rapid ascendance has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Injuries forced Malbrook to explore other ways of contributing to the development of basketball in her country. So in 2021, when FIBA Foundation invited Malbrook to participate in its youth leadership program, she made the most of the learning opportunity.

About the FIBA Foundation Youth Leadership Program

“The program was for youth leaders across the globe to give us the necessary tools to start our own programs and impact our communities through sports and social change. I learned how to promote the participation of girls in basketball or sports in general, safeguarding children, how to avoid and manage conflicts, leadership skills, fundraising, entrepreneurship, diversity, and gender equality,” Malbrook tells FIBA Foundation.

Launched over four years ago, the FIBA Foundation Youth Leadership program has already impacted 34 female and 20 male participants worldwide, from Africa, Americas, South East Asia to the Pacific. Due to COVID, the global program in 2022 was virtual and included monthly seminars in collaboration with international NGO GAME. Program graduates are expected to apply their learning to create and manage Basketball For Good projects within their respective local communities.

More than a player

A hoops enthusiast from childhood, Malbrook developed a deep desire to “learn more about the game, not just as a player but also its technical attributes, and in the long run, the management.”

At an age when most basketball players are still grappling with the Xs and Os, Malbrook began officiating and refereeing games. She was even made the Vice Chair of her local technical committee thanks to her “keen knowledge” of rules and regulations.

Thereafter, Malbrook moved to France to pursue a playing career that was cruelly cut short by ACL tears to both her knees. At a loss on how to continue her association with the game, in 2019 she was sent by the Seychelles Basketball Federation (SBF) to attend a FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders program in Gaborone, Botswana. Two years later, her connection with the FIBA Foundation continued with an additional course.

These Youth Leadership sessions would mark a eureka moment in Malbrook’s life – introducing her to the potential of 3x3 basketball.

Kickstarting 3x3 in Seychelles

After graduating from FIBA Foundation’s Youth Leadership course, Malbrook was immediately assigned the task of constituting and heading an Executive Committee to launch official 3x3 tournaments in Seychelles. A small island nation, Seychelles naturally took to the shorter and less-resource-intense format like fish to water.

Highlighting the unique challenges faced in a country like Seychelles, Malbrook notes:

“With all the good, we have also faced a few challenges, namely; non-standard facilities which is not always easy to get because of the lack of funding; lack of opportunities for our players especially in 5on5 and lack of trainings for our officials, coaches, instructors and leaders. There is so much work to be done to revamp the SBF and the need for full-time human resources delays. We need more sponsorship to kick start our grassroots program.”

Training the next generation of leaders

Malbrook admits that the responsibility of helming a National Sports Federation, that too while being a woman still in her twenties, is “a tad stressful”.

 

“My vision for the Federation is vast and convincing other members can be a bit challenging… But I’ve been putting my all in everything I do and in decisions I take, and with time I’m slowly earning the respect of my peers and also their support, to create opportunities for our athletes, coaches and match officials.  It’s a long road ahead and I have help from others in the sport community,” Malbrook says.

But despite her own ongoing personal and professional struggles, Malbrook is working on a project to provide the same tools to young leaders in Seychelles that she herself received through the FIBA Foundation Youth Leadership program. “It’s a work in progress and once finalized this could bring a great impact on youth development and youth leadership in sports,” Malbrook says.

Bringing Back Seychelles’ Basketball Glory

Malbrook and her team remain hard at work in providing new opportunities to players, creating a durable structure for the Federation, increasing the participation of women and re-igniting ‘Basketball For Good’ development programs for the youth.

“As a young energetic woman, I believe I have so much to offer my sports community, we have a gap in our sportsmen and women which, if we do not work around it, sport will slowly die out in Seychelles.  Even if I could just make a little difference, it will be enough to inspire someone else to carry the work,” Malbrook concludes with optimism.

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The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports and particularly basketball in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage.

The FIBA Foundation believes that basketball has the power to empower, educate and inspire youth and facilitates this by implementing Basketball For Good projects around the world.

 

FIBA