The Daughters & Dads basketball program is starting on Sunday 24 July at the Shoalhaven Basketball Association and will run for 9 weeks until 18 September 2022. Weekly sessions will start at 9am and finish at 1030am.

The program is aimed at girls aged between 7 and 12 years of age.

The cost for the 9-week program is $125 (for 2 people). Active Kids vouchers can be used for the program. 

Click the link to register now -  https://membership.mygameday.app/regoform.cgi?formID=103018

The program has been developed by the University of Newcastle, in partnership with the New South Wales Office of Sport and BNSW and has been designed to address barriers to girls’ participation in basketball by providing:

• Intensive coaching and skills practice for girls with dads as their ‘personal’ coaches.
• Girls with the knowledge of the game.
• Fathers with key parenting and coaching skills to improve their daughters’ skills and engagement in basketball.
• An evidence-based program that targets girls’ social-emotional skills (e.g., resilience, persistence, bravery).
• Strategies to empower girls to be aware of gender prejudice and overcome barriers using critical thinking and the support of their dads.
• An innovative home program that targets social-emotional skills, father-daughter bonding, basketball skills practice and a host of engaging and educational basketball-related activities.

The first week, Sunday 24 July, is an initial Dad’s only “Alley-Oop” session, educating Dads about the unique and powerful influence of Dads on their daughters and providing positive parenting strategies and quality coaching skills to improve their daughters’ basketball knowledge, skills, and engagement.  Dads also learn about the culture of gender prejudice that exists in many aspects of their daughters’ lives and how they can address this by becoming positive gender equity advocates and improve their daughters’ confidence to play.

Daughters and their Dads then attend 8 x 90-minute weekly sessions together, made up of 30 minutes of education and 60 minutes of practical activity. Education sessions focus on developing daughters understanding of the game of basketball and basketball skills while also targeting key social-emotional skills. Practical sessions focus on key areas such as: rough and tumble play, ball handling, shooting and finishing skill development, offensive and defensive play and modified games.

“Dad” includes any male figure such as a Grandfather, Uncle or other male primary care giver.