“I was impressed by the children’s attitude toward learning.”
The energetic voices of local junior high school students echoed through Gunma. On February 23rd, “Jr. NBA Clinic in Gunma Powered by B.LEAGUE” was held at Open House Arena Ota. Jr. NBA coach Natalia Andre (NBA Asia Basketball Operations) was the main lead, and Toshinori Higashigami, assistant coach and interpreter of the local Gunma Crane Thunders, and Ko Flippin also participated, and over 100 junior high school players participated. Guidance. The day was also filled with activities such as parent instruction and a coach clinic.
[43 photos]Check out the “Jr. NBA Clinic in Gunma Powered by B.LEAGUE” photo gallery
Jr. NBA is the NBA’s youth basketball program that teaches fundamental skills, the game, and core values (teamwork, respect, determination, and community). In the 2023-24 season, B.LEAGUE and the NBA are teaming up under the title “Jr. NBA Clinic Powered by B.LEAGUE” to promote youth basketball participation. It is being held at 16 venues in 4 regions of Kansai, Kyushu, and Chugoku, and nationwide. This year’s “Jr. NBA Clinic in Gunma Powered by B.LEAGUE” was made possible with the cooperation of local club Gunma Crane Thunders.
Mr. Andre, a Jr. NBA coach, said he felt respect for the attitude of the children in Gunma.
Mr. Andre, a former Portugal/Cape Verde Republic national team player who has been coaching grassroots for 20 years and coaching the Jr. NBA for about 10 years, is also good at capturing the feelings of his players. At the beginning of the kids clinic, he asked with a smile, “Are you looking forward to it?” The participating players were hesitant to respond, partly because they were embarrassed. Then, in a particularly lively voice, he called out, “Are you all excited?” The players responded with a loud “Yes!” and smiled. The kids clinic started here with Togashira AC and Flippin.
First, the participants did some running and lunging, and then warmed up by playing quick ball catching games in pairs. What followed was everyone shouting out loud. In response to Andre’s call, “Make it louder!”, the players also responded with their loudest voices. He then requested, “Let’s create six groups of 16 people, each with a mix of men and women.” Although not all groups could be completed in the scheduled one minute, with help, six groups were completed. Here, Andre referred to the “Steph vs. Sabrina 3P Challenge*” that took place on NBA All-Star Saturday, saying, “In basketball, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a boy or a girl. Let’s all have fun.” Then we moved on to practicing by creating six stations. 3-on-3, defensive practice for offensive ball movement, step practice for responding to the coach’s instructions, dribbling practice, and 5-star drills that combine passing and shooting were carried out in rotation, but Coach Higashigami , Flippin also appeared at various stations to the delight of the players. At the end, a dribbling game was held in which all participating players participated. The kids clinic came to an end after the winner had a 1 on 1 match with Flippin and the excitement was high.
*=Steph Curry has made 3,390 total 3-point shots, which is the most in history as of the start of this season. He has 128 3-point shots, which is the highest in the Warriors and WNBA season record, and 37 in 3-point shooting contests last season. A 3-point shooting showdown between Sabrina Ionescu/WNBA Liberty, who won by scoring a point. Ionescu scored first with 26 points, but Curry won with 29 points.
Junior high school students participating in the clinic with smiles on their faces
Mr. Andre, who completed the enthusiastic clinic that lasted 90 minutes longer than scheduled, said, “It was a very attractive clinic.I was impressed by the children’s full of energy and positive attitude to learning from early in the morning. I wanted to work even harder for the sake of the team.” He said with a smile that the participating players had shown him respect, and added, “What I wanted to convey most is that I want you to work hard and not be afraid of making mistakes.” We make mistakes and get better, and in the end, the most important thing is to have fun.I want basketball to be a comfortable place for them, and I want them to build friendships through this game. I think so,” he said in a message.
Additionally, parent instruction and a coach clinic will be held on the same day. It was a great time with many questions asked. Mr. Andre said, “I really enjoyed talking with the parents, and I think they understood the coach clinic well.I hope that everyone will give the children a good experience from now on.” . Like their parents and coaches, the players who received energy from Andre must have learned a lot in the Jr. NBA. These efforts will have a positive impact on local basketball.
Voices from participating staff and players
■Toshinori Higashigami Assistant Coach and Interpreter
“When I was an interpreter at the Jr. NBA held last year, I experienced that Natalia’s energy was transmitted to the children, and I was reminded once again that it is very important for adults to be serious about it. It made me realize that. I would like to apply this to my own coaching. Also, she often says, “You have to have fun,” but creating the atmosphere yourself is very important. I think it was a great experience for the participants.”
■Ko Flippin
“Today was a great opportunity to interact with the kids and see how they play. We were doing some basic drills, but as long as you have the right attitude you can really enjoy basketball. You’ll be able to make friends there, and you’ll be able to work towards something and have a goal. This will also help you develop your character. I’m rooting for the children in this area to become passionate about basketball. Masu”
■Rannosuke Mori (3rd year junior high school student)
“It was fun because we had a lot of useful practice such as basic drills and defensive footwork.The dribbling game at the end and the one-on-one with the flippin players were also fun.As he is a professional player, he is very physical. His technique was also very good.”
■Quinquilleria Taian (3rd year junior high school student)
“I participated because I wanted to learn basketball with people I’ve never played with before. (Andre) was a foreigner, so I was impressed by how loud he was.I also wanted to be a little louder. I always thought it would be better to do that. I also learned a lot from being able to play with female players in a gender-neutral manner.”
2024-03-11 03:17:34
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