BEIRUT (Lebanon) - After having programs held earlier in the year around Asia, Ball’In Schools continues to expand its reach in several schools in Lebanon from late May to June.

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. Earlier this year, the clinic was held in Saudi Arabia, Maldives, and Palestine.

The most recent Ball’In Schools program was held in Champville School - Dik el Mehdi from 27-30 May with 29 participants. This was followed shortly by the program at St. Joseph School - Kornet Chehwan from 1-4 June with 22 participants.

"As part of our long-term strategy, and with the support of FIBA, the Ball’In Schools clinic was proudly brought to Lebanon because schools will always remain the cornerstone for the development of basketball," said Lebanese Basketball Federation (LBF)  president, Akram Halabi.

The last event was a clinic for Instructors, also at St. Joseph School - Kornet Chehwan, from 5-7 June, where 11 instructors were present.

"It was a great opportunity by FIBA to observe modern ways of teaching basketball basics at the school level and get exposed to details through school level tailored drills," said Marwan Khalil, participant of the event and former national team coach.

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 FIBA experts, where the ambassadors use what they have learned and take the initiative further to introduce or raise awareness.

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