INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGIUM (ISB) – HOOPS 4 HOPE SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR 2012
April 12th, Cape Town
ISB Athletic Director Jason Baseden’s dream was always to create a platform for ISB youth and Hoops 4 Hope youth together. He was also excited about the opportunity where their soccer coaches would finally meet. With his team of sixteen ISB students ready for action, this group did not waist time! They started their first day with a mountain hike, filled with enthusiasm, and together with their coaches they delivered basketball and soccer coaching clinic for players in the township community of Philipi. Further soccer and basketball coaching clinics for girl and boys soccer took place at the MPC Crossraod Center in Crossroads.
The final day saw a thrilling game between the ISB mixed team and the Hoops 4 Hope select township team. This final game was highly anticipated, as every seat in the indoor hall was filled with excited local fans who watched these teams exchange numerous scoring leads. Ultimately the local Hoops 4 Hope select team won the game, much to the delight of the local fans.
Outside of that, ISB spent a remarkable amount of time with Hoops 4 Hope coordinators and participating youth and the kids just loved this group. The ISB team also visited sights such as: Robin Island, Greenpoint Stadium, The Waterfront, Lions Head, Cape Point, and the Cape Of Good Hope.
Among the ISB students was 17 year old Madi Bartlett who, though born in Germany, is well rooted in South Africa. Madi’s parents, both South African, travel a lot for work purpose, thus have given Madi the opportunity to travel all over the world. She has enjoyed learning and experiencing different cultures and has travelled and lived in: Germany, Vietnam, Johannesburg and Belgium. Yet she had never been to Cape Town before.
Madi is currently enjoying her academic year with ISB (International School of Belgium) and is in 11th grade. The trip to Cape Town with her school, and the basketball and soccer exchange program with Hoops 4 Hope in Cross Roads Nyanga during the month of April was thoroughly enjoyable! Her experience with Hoops 4 Hope was so much fun. Pleasantly, Madi felt more at home in South Africa than anywhere else. She is not sure whether she will be able to graduate with her ISB friends in Belgium, because her family might relocate again, but she is definitely considering attending university in Cape Town, at UCT. Madi’s first visit in the mother city (Cape Town), was a memorable one, and hopefully not her last one!
April 6th-7th brought Mark Crandall to Ohio University to present at the 8th Annual Sports in Africa Conference. Mark shared the spotlight with renowned Senegalese basketball player Astou Ndiaye-Diatta, who discussed her WNBA career, coaching at the University of Utah, running an NGO with her husband and being a super mother to triplet boys.
Astou’s hoops career is going full circle to help young people and communities face challenges back in Senegal. The conference brought together an amazing group of passionate and diverse experts in sports and development, all of whom are creating sustainable solutions, challenging the models, providing needed research and building valuable networks in our important field.
It is not unusual for teenagers to want to look cool. Ben Charles, 16, is one of them, a self-confessed sneaker addict.
