Basketball is getting a local boost this year, thanks to recent donations of equipment and uniforms to underserved schools and communities. SLBF president Glen “Kala” Guiste says donations of balls to three affiliates in April are part of a broader strategy to grow the sport in Saint Lucia.
“The balls were not distributed in isolation,” he said. “We have increased the pool of coaches over the past couple of months. As recently as December, we had a Level One coaching clinic, so there are more coaches out there.”
He further emphasised the link between equipment and coaching: “The communities where the balls have been issued, and even in some schools too, there are basketball coaches, so there are coaches in those sections.”
During the ongoing KFC National Basketball League, balls were given to new affiliate, Choiseul Youth and Sports Club, and returning members, Babonneau Dynasty and Dennery Basketball League. These communities are running their own youth programmes and taking advantage of their local courts.
“In Babonneau, we have helped create, and we are still supporting the programme run by Dunby St Marthe, who plays in the national league as well. So, he is a seasoned baller,” said Guiste. “Choiseul, [Jonathan] Chalon as well; the rims are up there. So, it is very nice to see facilities up and running, to be honest. And we need some more in the more basketball-rich communities.”
Guiste noted that balls have also been given to Basketball For The Future, which is restarting its programme at The Gardens in central Castries. Meanwhile, he added that grassroots hoops are on the rise in Dennery, once a prominent name in the local game.
Building on these developments, he revealed, “Some of the schools you see the balls going in, in the summer, June, July, somewhere around there, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, we are planning a basketball coaching clinic for physical education teachers. We will have at least 40 PE teachers from around the island to get the sport out there as well.”
Photo Credit: SLB
Continuing this collaborative effort, donations have recently come from outside the federation. For example, in 2023, former national player Marcellus “Bax” Stiede provided balls to Gros Islet Infant and St Aloysius RC Boys Schools. That same year, 1st National Bank donated basketball uniforms to Patricia D James Secondary School, whose boys’ team has placed as high as third in the school’s tournament on several occasions.
The federation also has a pre-Level One coaching course planned for November, continuing their push to build local talent.
