Rick Stiebel/News Gazette staff
An inexpensive basketball clinic for beginners boasts a couple of high-caliber coaches from faraway places.
Keep Girls in Sports (KGiS) is hosting a clinic from Sept. 21 to 23, in conjunction with the Warriors basketball club and Royal Bay Secondary Athletics.
There are still spots available for girls in grades 4 to 6, or approximately eight to 11 years of age, for the clinic, which features professional basketball trainers Maiki Viela from Lahaina, Hawaii, and Britnea Moore from San Francisco, California.
This clinic is geared to girls to who have an interest in the sport, but not necessarily a lot of experience, said Michelle Scoville, KGiS organizer. All participants will have the opportunity to develop new skills through one on one training and games.
“Statistics have shown that by age 14, girls are dropping out of sports at twice the rate of boys,” Scoville noted. “This is a trend we’re aiming to reverse by focusing on the many positive attributes of sport for young women and by providing unique athletic opportunities for local girls in a variety of sports.”
Email kgisclinics@gmail.com for more information or to register at a cost of $40. A reception for participants to get acquainted with the coaches and participate in contests will be held on Friday, Sept. 21 on the eve of the two-day clinic.
KGis was launched in May through an inaugural fundraising event co-chaired by Langford Mayor Stew Young at Highland Pacific Golf Club. Funds raised went toward lowering registration fees for the upcoming clinics and helped the Warriors basketball team attend a training camp and tournament at Gonzaga University.