Grassroots development in Saudi Arabia takes another step with Ball'In Schools program exclusive for women

BEIRUT (Lebanon) - FIBA Regional Office Asia's Ball'In Schools program continued expanding its impact throughout the continent with a 4-day program exclusively for girls in Saudi Arabia from 21-24 January.

Ball'In Schools is a grassroots basketball development project that aims to help plant the seeds of love for the game of basketball at a young age, especially in schools. In previous years, Ball'In Schools programs were held in Bhutan, Laos, and Oman, which were well-received in each respective country. In 2022, Ball'In Schools was also organized in Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Palestine, Lebanon, Qatar, Mongolia, Jordan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iraq.

This particular program returned to Saudi Arabia after being one of the first countries involved with the program, though in this return, the program was held exclusively for women. Women in Basketball is one FIBA's three strategic pillars and through this program, young women in Saudi Arabia will get the chance to be introduced to basketball - and have fun - at an early age.

The program addresses the current and common challenges that slow down the development of basketball, such as the insufficient presence of the sport in schools; the absence of age groups competitions and tournaments, or the low quality of basketball infrastructure and limited accessibility. Ball'In Schools does so by empowering local ambassadors with a program to push for basketball in schools. These programs are trained by experts selected by the FIBA Regional Office Asia, where the ambassadors use what they've learned and take the initiative further to introduce or raise awareness.

Kawther Khayyat, a participant said: "It was an honor to work with SBF and Ball'in schools. This opportunity will strengthen the basketball community in our culture and country. We learned a lot of things that will help us deal with girls and make them love basketball. In the end, great job to everyone who worked in this program. We loved it so much and we are waiting for more.”

Yusra Abuljadayel, another participant said: "It was a very informative and fun event. I learned how to break-down complicated drills and achieve the same purpose on different levels. The thinking process was structured well and I look forward to applying everything we learned to the kids in our academy and to teaching the PE teachers in Saudi Arabia. It is an honor to be trusted to coach teachers how to coach basketball and a responsibility that I will not take lightly. Looking forward to making an impact.”

The idea behind Ball'In Schools is the empowerment of local ambassadors to have a self-sustainable grassroots development program. Having more players and increasing the demand for basketball on its own should be the driver of the program to lead to long-term growth of basketball.

FIBA