The surge of basketball popularity among youth in Dartford and surrounding areas is largely attributed to the successful initiatives of Tigers Basketball Community Programmes. This current academic year, an impressive number of 2,200 children participated in Tigers Basketball’s community activities—a significant increase from the 900 participants in the previous year.

The establishment of new community hubs has notably broadened the scope of participation. For instance, the launch of a girls only session hub at a local community programme saw 50 young girls attending sessions across six months, further enhancing the inclusivity of the Tigers Basketball initiatives.

The under-10 programme at the Leigh UTC Dartford has recently launched with young athletes training regularly throughout the week from not having any regular sessions at this age group the previous year. This addition bolsters the pathway of young players being able to be active regularly from the age of 8 yrs all the way to University age and beyond within the Tigers Basketball Programmes.

Sten Mayunga, Director at Tigers Basketball, expressed his enthusiasm about the growing community interest: “We are thrilled to witness the increasing popularity of our Tigers Basketball Community programmes. Our team, led by the outstanding efforts of our community coaches, has been pivotal in engaging and inspiring a new generation to embrace basketball. Our extensive reach through schools has allowed us to impact 2,200 students directly, introducing them to basketball through various educational and recreational initiatives.”

Mayunga further added, “These introductory activities across Dartford are not just about playing basketball; they are about building a vibrant community and instilling lifelong values in our youth. With our ongoing expansion plans, including more comprehensive community hubs, we are excited about the future of basketball in our region.”

Lisa Williams, Tigers Basketball Community Delivery Manager, also commented on the success: “It’s been incredible to see the growth of the Tigers Basketball Community programmes over the last year. The dedication of our coaches and the enthusiasm from the community have driven these fantastic numbers. Basketball’s popularity here is skyrocketing, and we are eagerly planning to introduce the girls only pathway this year and expand our hub programmes to allow even more children to participate.”

To learn more about Tigers Basketball and its community programmes, visit www.dartfordtigers.com/community.