Coach Ann has been a basketball experience coach for over one year now. She is also a certified basketball referee working with three schools in the Basketball Experience programme.
Coach Ann joined the programme out of passion for basketball and a desire to mentor young people beyond the sport, this is where she met Aduk, a student at Ngara Girls School, and a Sudanese national.
“The first thing I noticed about Aduk is that she was very shy. Despite having a great height for the game, she would come to training and sit at the side lines not wanting to interact with anyone or participate,” shared Coach Ann.
After reaching out severally, Coach Ann came to learn that Aduk struggled with confidence, particularly due to adolescence and her discomfort around body changes. She had no one to discuss her fears with, and sports seemed to make her more self-conscious.
“I encouraged her every week, mentored her, and even bought her two sports bras so she could train comfortably and regain confidence,” adds Coach Ann.
Coach Ann says the strongest life skills she emphasized were confidence, time management, and communication. She explains that students learned responsibility through arriving on time for sessions and communicating through team captains or sports teachers if they were absent. She adds that more and more girls in Pangani and Ngara Girls Schools began approaching her openly with issues they were facing, and she would guide them using the correct life skills or refer them to counselors and teachers who could help further.
“The life skill session teaches young players how to navigate real-life challenges such as peer pressure, communication, self-esteem, and decision-making, not just what happens on the court. Basketball Experience is impactful because it integrates life skills with sports in a structured and intentional way,” Coach Ann explains.
By the time Coach Ann was concluding the Basketball Experience programme, Aduk was part of the first five teams in school that participated in basketball tournaments all the way to County level; and they performed very well even winning a medal.
“She is not the same girl I found when I came here. Her confidence is so high and she is such a great basketballer now and I have been told it is also reflecting in her classroom discipline and home life. Her future is very bright,” Coach Ann narrates.