Youth basketball in the Cayman Islands is back on the courts. On Saturday, 10 Sept., 78 young players hit the courts at First Baptist Church for the start of the 10th annual Cayman Islands Basketball Association Youth Academy.
“The academy is actually a developmental programme where kids learn to play basketball,” Victor ‘Voot’ O’Garro, technical director, told the Cayman Compass.
The CIBA programme comprises three age groups: 7–9, 10-12 and 13-17. The youngest kids form the largest class, at 35 participants.
Caymanian players like Keller Wilson, Nathaniel Hurlston-Anderson and Joshua O’Garro, who have all gone on to play for US universities, are among those who have passed through the academy.
The programme, which is coached by Duran ‘Trini’ Whittaker, continues to propel young basketball enthusiasts, whether locally or overseas, said Voot, who has been involved with Cayman basketball for the past 28 years.
CIBA will also recruit players from the academy for upcoming leagues, he added.
“This is the breeding ground for the players. We are going to start our under-19 league and we will use players from this programme.”
The academy will take a break in December for the holidays, and restart in the new year.
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