AFTER years of analysis former national player and current national coach Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan feels he has a solution for the recent basketball woes, and aims to start at the nursery level – and he has government and corporate support.
‘Bobby’s Basketball Coaching Clinic’ will bounce off tomorrow at the National Gymnasium with the aim of improving the fundamentals of the sport in the new crop of players; but the classes will not only be about the game.
At the clinic’s launching on Friday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the speakers, including Cadogan, former Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Technical Director and former referee Cecil Chin and Director of Sport Neil Kumar, all spoke of the need to balance books and the game.
Cadogan said that the students, who are initially expected to come from South Georgetown schools, will also benefit from “educational programmes”. He gave motivational speeches and seminars on HIV/AIDS as two examples.
Chin, who will be responsible for the physical preparation and discipline of the players, said that there will be a collaborative effort with the officials at the clinic and the schools to evaluate the students both on the court and in the classrooms. He added that the clinic would not accept an exam grade under 65 %.
Kumar, who said that the clinic has his “unflinching support” also asked the students to strive for a balance between academics and basketball.
The Director of Sport pledged the National Sports Commission’s full assistance and also promised to make other venues available as the clinic develops.

TEACHING TECHNIQUES
Cadogan’s aspiration is to spread the clinic, once it is properly developed, to other areas.  The afternoon programme will go in tandem with the school term: classes and  will be held from 15:30 h to 17:30 h Monday to Friday.
The target age will be 9-15. Cadogan said that he hopes some of the young players can represent Guyana in the FIBA CBC Juniors in the years to come. That tournament now targets Under-15 players.
For the first year the motto of the clinic will be: Teaching Techniques before Tactics”. It will be divided into three phases – physical development drills, basketball fundamental drills and team drills.
The clinic hopes to target both male and female students. Some of the girls who will be a part of the clinic were at the Sports Hall.
This was dubbed an inspiration by Kumar, who pointed out that he would be “happy” when the Guyanese girls can defeat Suriname and French Guiana in the Inter-Guiana Games. Kumar said that every school with female participants will benefit from a free basketball.

REPUTABLE TEAM
Cadogan and Chin are not the only officials who would impart their knowledge on the students. It was indicated that four other reputable individuals will assist in the coaching department  – Mark Agard, current national junior coach, Dennis Clarke, chairman of the Courts Pacesetters Club, Timeka Joseph, national female player and Kester Gomes.
Along with support from the National Sports Commission, a number of corporate entities are also assisting: HJTV, Wind Jammers Hotel International, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Trend Setters Auto and Electrical Spares, Curtains and Draperies Designs and Express Shipping and Brokerage.
Overseas-based sponsors include Dr Colin Watson, the Washington DC Jammers and the Haynes Foundation USA.