For the last year and a half we have been running a basketball club for MYP students. Our Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) consisted of sessions where players are able to practise and refine their basketball skills as well as play full matches. Sessions were held weekly every Tuesday.
What inspired us to start the club was the level of raw talent and potential in the school, particularly in the MYP. In our eyes, there were diamonds in need of polishing. Being the oldest members of the school basketball team, we felt the responsibility to help guide and encourage young players, already having some experience of doing this during the ISACI season. Hence, we came up with the idea for our club, which aimed to help build and improve the skills of players and help them gain a better understanding of the sport. This would not only result in individual development and growth, but would also in a stronger school team, bringing us one step closer to bringing back gold medals.
Our sessions consisted of basic exercises which helped to develop passing, dribbling and shooting skills. In order to truly practise and learn, these skills were put to the test in real games. These games were a major part of our sessions as we believe that it is in these situations where players really learn and grow.
As each week passed, we were able to see the development of every player. They became more confident in their choices when they had the ball, they were better at handling the ball, at passing and at shooting. One of the most significant changes in their game would be their teamwork and ball movement. Throughout our time with them, it was clear that they were not only growing individually but as a team, learning how to play together. Through the various drills and games players became aware of their strengths and weaknesses, being able to focus and work on certain areas of their game.
Overall, this experience was great for us. It taught us important leadership skills and helped us to understand how to manage and handle a team. Learning how to be better coaches by giving valuable constructive feedback was a major area in which we learnt a lot. A large aspect of our experience was our interactions with our students, learning how to handle them in terms of discipline. Through this project we learnt and developed skills which we feel will be valuable in our future school and work experiences.
By DP2 Students: Alexis Genestout and Jahaan Kapoor
Photographs – Aryan Chowdhury
Demonstration of a DP CAS Project: A creative engagement of students in the IB Diploma Programme is the experiential Creativity, Activity, and/or Service learning project. This authentic project-based-learning experience is one that best shows the stages of investigation, collaboration, preparation, action and demonstration.