A Slam Dunk for Secondary Academies at Inspiration Trust Basketball Tournament

On the 25th of May, Inspiration Trust secondary pupils were invited to a Basketball Tournament held at the University of East Anglia Sportspark. This event saw all nine secondary academies attend the event bringing teams from Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 for the tournament.

This was a chance to show off their basketball skills and students were excited to hit the courts and start shooting hoops. 12 basketball courts were running simultaneously with 360 students taking part on the day, the atmosphere was electric and as soon as our academies started to arrive there was an excitable buzz between all the teams.

Paul Wayman, Inspiration Trust Sports Coordinator said:

"What an incredible event! There was a real buzz in the air for the inaugural, Inspiration Trust 3X3 Basketball tournament. I was thoroughly proud to work alongside the Trust Physical Education teachers to deliver one of the largest school basketball tournaments in the country. Special thank you goes out to the local clubs and referees for helping to facilitate the day; Norfolk Iceni & Basketball in the Community. It was clear to see that the event sparked an enthusiasm within the students to join clubs in their local area.”

As well as a chance for some competition between our academies, the tournament also aimed to get more students interested and involved in basketball, both in extracurricular activities and in community basketball clubs. This opportunity was no doubt a catalyst for many students to learn more about basketball and to start a passion for the sport.

Throughout the day there were 288 games played in the round-robin style tournament, every academy had the chance to match up against one another, with every team playing 8 matches.

The day concluded with a prize ceremony to award our winning teams with their medals and trophies. There was a prize for each year group, creating eight winning teams across the day, as well as individual awards for best attitude and the most valuable player from each category.

Most Valuable Players

Year 7 Girls - S. Hussein - Hewett Academy

Yera 7 Boys - A. Elzubeir - Hethersett Academy

Year 8 Girls - K. Lawes - Wayland Academy

Year 8 Boys - I. Lo - King Edward VII Academy

Year 9 Girls - P. Allen Bean - Great Yarmouth Charter Academy

Year 9 Boys - W. Watson - Hethersett Academy

Year 10 Girls - L. Stammers - East Point Academy

Year 10 Boys - M. Salomskas - Hewett Academy

Players with the Best Attitude

Year 7 - K. Johnson - Wayland Academy

Year 8 - H. Ewing - Thetford Academy

Year 9 - P. Allen Bean - Great Yarmouth Charter Academy

Year 10 - L. Showers - Cromer Academy