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Dr. Jack Ramsay Initiative

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Technical Cooperation Expertise & Assistance

An authentic expert led approach helps in the development of sound game fundamentals & enthusiasm that opens up doors of opportunity for disadvantaged children. Helping children develop a passion for sport, is the first step towards teaching children what they are capable of not what they are limited by, a necessary social norm change needed to break the poverty cycles and improve lives.

The Jack Ramsay Basketball Coaches Training Program

The success of our basketball developmental program lies upon assistance & training resources that we received from Dr. Jack Ramsay, (NBA Legend). This pivotal arm of our program builds lifetime capacity by training & empowering local volunteer coaches with game fundamentals needed to teach children how to play & enjoy the game. The program targets & trains teachers from rural schools that receive certification in coaching as well as officiating. Since the program debut in 2012, the Jack Ramsay Grassroots Basketball Initiative has certified more than 1000 coaches and impacted up to 5000 children across the

Organized Youth Sports Program

Named after the late NBA Hall of Famer, Dr Jack Ramsay, the objective is to set up structured basketball programs within rural school communities. These are administered by school teachers that receive training & certification to teach proper fundamentals to children. The ground breaking community youth sports program, (a first in the history of the country & the continent) enables participants to develop a strong passion for the game leading to lifetime empowerment. With a sustainable sports program in place, children can derive the 5 c's: competence, character, commitment, compassion & confidence necessary to breakdown barriers and help break the poverty cycle.

Volunteer Basketball Officiating Program

This pivotal arm of the program builds capacity by training local volunteer coaches that work with kids on a continous basis to foster program sustainability & longevity. The presence of local staffing coaches creates a comfort zone for children & a sense of trust in the community. Volunteer coaches play the huge role of mentoring kids, the majority whose parents have succumbed to the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic. We partner with game experts in the US that help us provide training resources for the program. Since the program debut in 2012, the Jack Ramsay Grassroots Basketball Initiative has certified more than 1000 coaches and impacted up to 5000 children across the country.

Watch The Featured Video

Here's How We Help Kids Develop A Passion For Basketball

Dr Jack UpTempo Basketball Training & Certification

UpTempo basketball is a professional game teaching resource put together by Dr Jack Ramsay to teach & grow the game. The resource was a gift from the NBA Hall of Fame to enable volunteer coaches & under privileged children in Zimbabwe & across Africa to have access to unique game fundamentals. The tool has been used by our program to train more than 1200 volunteer coaches on the ground that work directly with kids on a regular basis to foster program sustainability & longevity. Upon successful participation & completion of the coaches training program, every coach receives a copy of the dvd and the Dr Jack Ramsay Basketball Development Certificate, signed by the legend. Volunteer coaches, (teachers from local schools) present a tangible resource for mentoring orphaned children due to HIV/AIDS, & providing a sense of trust in the community.

The Ted DeWolf Village Bricks Concept

Most rural schools in Zimbabwe have basketball programs in place despite playing on dirt surface. Thanks to a ground breaking low innovation/cost effective method developed by Ted DeWolf a missionary from Boston living in Zimbabwe, children can now play ball on hard surface. With 20,000 village bricks made by the community, we provide assistance in the form of 114 bags of cement that goes toward building a slab used to play the game. Communities are encouraged to invest sweat equity in the development of the infrastructure. Such a structure has a low upfront cost and comes with no maintenance costs. With this concept, we are seeing maximum participation and easy access to the facilities.

Boosting Children's Morale

Getting children pumped about learning or playing a game can be a huge challenge in an environment with limited resources. Our program mitigates this challenge by collecting & shipping to program participants gently used basketball gear. Combined with periodic camps on the ground, we are strategically positined to inspire children to do more as they navigate around the sport. Learning proper fundamentals is always a key step towards enabling them to enjoy the game, build world class athletes & instill competitiveness among them. Research shows that children draw self esteem from a wide range of factors including actively participating in a sports program with appropriate gear. Participants that are actively involved in our sports program get to keep the sneakers they receive.

Community Presence & Progam Accessibility

A unique feature of the Jack Ramsay Basketball Development Initiative is it's close proximity to the target audience. Making the program accessible to under privileged children is a top priority. Therefore we set up strong partnerships with rural schools, teachers, and the community large. Coaching clinics, training materials, collected sports gear and infrastructural development all take place at community level. The primary goal of this program is to create a fun filled environment where children can learn the game, improve their skills & develop a passion for it. An organized program is a perfect platform for kids to practice periodically and compete against each other in games. Once we get children excited about sport, as a community, we become strategically positioned to instill lifetime skills needed to overcome social challenges

A Word From Coach Ramsay

"The coach is a teacher; his subject is the fundamentals"

Dr. Jack Ramsay, (NBA Hall of Fame & Legend)
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