BASKETBALL: The Westbourne Summer Basketball Project is aiming to produce top class basketball players from the Ipswich region. The programme takes place at the Westbourne High School sports hall every Thursday evening from 6.

BASKETBALL

THE Westbourne Summer Basketball Project is aiming to produce top class basketball players from the Ipswich region.

The programme takes place at the Westbourne High School sports hall every Thursday evening from 6.30pm for three hours and on Saturday afternoons starting at 2.30pm for two hours.

Youngsters of all ages from around Ipswich are welcome to attend and it is free for under 16s and costs a £1 for over 16s.

There will be a local celebrity attending as the coaching will be provided by former Westbourne High School student and now Newcastle Eagles' star Leroy Manhertz.

Leroy will work with young people in the project to develop and improve their basketball skills and offer advice, guidance and encouragement.

For the older and more experienced players, the project will provide an excellent opportunity for the older players to train and develop team skills and performance.

It plans to create teams for Ipswich and District local league basketball in different age groups. The older players will be expected to qualify as coaches and referees to help support and develop the newly formed teams.

Coaching sessions will be provided for all ages with the younger age groups, (eight to 14-year-olds) being catered for between 6.30-7.30pm and Saturdays at 2.30pm.

The training for the younger players will be basic, fundamental basketball skills and drills, with games played over the summer holiday period with other local and regional clubs and groups.

They also welcome and invite all young people who are interested in playing music, helping with outdoor events, playing basketball and supporters to come along for a session to see how you can get involved.

Outdoor events will be held around the town over the summer holiday period at as many of the following outdoor basketball courts around the town as possible:

Copleston Centre, Copleston High School, Dumbarton Road Recreation Ground, Allenby Road Rec, Hawke Road Play Area, Victoria Street Play Area, Northgate Sports Centre, Maidenhall Sports Centre, Stone Lodge Y & C Centre, Hawthorn Drive, Halifax Road kick-a-bout pitch.

There will be a final event at the end of summer to bring as many of the groups together on the day for a round-robin tournament and community fun day.

This will bring together the basketballers, the supporters, the sponsors (Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk Police) the musicians and the DJs for an outdoor BBQ Basketball – cook out – tournament celebration of community pride.

Young people from around Suffolk and Ipswich were fortunate enough to go to Spain to take part in the Copa de Mars International Invitational European Basketball Tournament in Lloret De Mars.

The tournament consisted of two pools of four teams each with the powerful Lithuanians and Americans in pool A and the might of the British Army in Pool B along with the Ipswich boys from Mustangs United Suffolk College.

The semi-finals and the finals came down to these four teams. The Mustangs team did well by bringing home the fourth-place trophy. Representing Mustangs United Suffolk College were Neil Mason, Andrew Taylor, Stephan Novak, Junius Hurd, Steven Hendry, Lance Peters Asha O'Connor and Leroy Manhertz with Head Coach Lawrence Walker and Assistant Coach Paul King.

The junior team brought home a second place trophy, losing the finals game to the American North Stars Juniors team.

The Under 15s did well finishing in sixth place out of eight teams from Spain, Italy, Sweden and America.