Helping Hoops is excited to announce the addition of our eighth weekly program, Helping Hoops Future. Helping Hoops Future, a name chosen by young people in the program, is a free, multicultural basketball program that is targeted specifically at the older and more advanced participants who have come through their local Helping Hoops community programs and are seeking to continue their basketball into their late teens.
Helping Hoops community programs cater for children aged 7 to 15, so it is inevitable that older participants outgrow their program and move on once they reach upper secondary school. Helping Hoops Future helps extend the influence of Helping Hoops and keeps us relevant for young people as they attempt to navigate their late teens.
Helping Hoops Future runs every Wednesday from 6 to 8pm at Victoria University, Footscray Park, and also incorporates a strength and conditioning session on Sundays at Fitness First, QV in Melbourne’s CBD. A two-week try out commenced in mid-February, with over 50 young people registering with hopes of entering the program. Unfortunately, only 20 places made for tough decisions, however future growth of the program will eventually accomodate more. Pleasingly, many we have welcomed back many participants who have been away from Helping Hoops for a number of years, which reinforces the strong logic behind the program and its format.
Helping Hoops Future is run by Coach Eric Minerve and Nicholas Garcia. Nicholas has recently come on board as a volunteer and will oversee the strength and conditioning component of the program. He has also helped secure a relationship with Fitness First that sees Helping Hoops receive in-kind sponsorship in the form of use of gym facilities.
We are incredibly excited by Helping Hoops Future and the unique opportunities it opens up for our kids. We look forward to bringing more updates on the program’s progress going forward.
