Out of Hours School Sports

With the start of the school year, it is great to see our 'SKiPPS' basketball teams getting up and running again.

For anyone new to the school, each year level from 1-6 has a couple of boys and girls basketball teams. 

Whilst these teams represent the school and play in the black and red SKiPPS uniforms, they operate independently of the school and are managed and coached by parent/carer volunteers. Our teams generally train at school before or after the school day and compete in the Playball leagues around the local area.

 Whilst the teams are parent-run and the school is not directly involved, they do operate under our school 'Out of Hours Sports Policy'.  

At the start of each year, we like to draw all parents' attention to this policy and, in particular, some of the key expectations it sets out.

Most importantly, the policy sets out the aims for our SKiPPS basketball teams. It says that Out of Hours Sport;

• provides an opportunity for children to participate, regardless of ability, in regular team sport with others from the school and the community.  
• develops children’s sporting skills and appropriate sporting behaviour through their regular participation in training sessions and competition. 
• develops children’s social skills across and within age groups through working together in teams and engaging with other teams and schools. 
• Provides further opportunities to develop health and fitness. 
• provides a fun way to further develop our school values of Respect, Creativity, Enthusiasm and Resilience

Put simply, involvement with these teams should be a positive and fun experience for children. We understand that, for many, this is their first experience of taking part in team sports and we want this to establish an enjoyment and sense of achievement which will make them want to stay involved and establish beliefs and attitudes that lead to a lifetime of involvement in sports.

At this age, involvement and enjoyment should take precedence over winning and we ask that parents involved with out of hours sport keep this in mind.

The policy states that team coaches and managers should seek to ensure that all players;

1. have a chance to consolidate skills. 
2. have the opportunity to get experience in a range of different positions. 
3. have an equal opportunity to participate, where the team has more than the required number of players. 

This means that players in a team (regardless of ability) should be given equal game time each week to ensure they feel involved, enjoy the game and are given opportunities to improve and develop. Parents involved with each team could take on a role to monitor the game time of different players to help the coach rotate and ensure all players get an equal chance on the court.

For those players that excel in basketball and would like to step-up to a more competitive environment, there are many options for this including try-outs for Melbourne Tigers teams.

The below poster was shared last year by Nikita, our parent basketball co-ordinator and is worth remembering when your children take part in out of hours sport.

Any families who would like their child to join a basketball team should email Nikita on nikitajain86@gmail.com