With record turnouts this year, the Cayman Islands Basketball Association’s (“CIBA”) orchestrated Academy continues to lay the foundation for youth to develop and showcase their basketball talents.
CIBA facilitates the development of Cayman’s youth through its leagues, ongoing programs and clinics offered throughout the year. CIBA’s objectives are as follows:
- To use basketball as a tool to develop exceptional citizens;
- To increase levels of participation for health and self-esteem;
- To provide avenues for national and college recruitment for young, promising athletes;
- Offer an alternative method of mediation to reduce the number of youths left unsupervised after-school and on weekends;
- To promote a healthy and active society through basketball;
- To build national pride through participation in regional and international games.
Led by the Technical Director of CIBA, Coach Victor “Voot” O’Garro, the Academy offers youth access to learn the fundamentals of basketball in a fun environment that is open to both boys and girls with any level of experience.
The Academy details are as follows:
Academy Start Date / End Date: Year round, generally in conjunction with school terms
Academy Location: First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman on Saturdays (across from the Lions’ Centre)
- 7 – 9 year olds: 9 AM – 10 AM
- 10 – 12 year olds: 10 AM – 11:15 AM
- 13 – 16 year olds: 11:15 AM – 12:30 PM
(10 -12 year old session gathering at center court with Coach Corey McGee at the Academy)
Aside from the Academy, locally sponsored leagues are offered for youth to display and master the foundational skills learned at the Academy within a competitive team environment.
These leagues would not be possible without local sponsors, KPMG sponsoring the Under 14 Boys and Girls Leagues and PwC sponsoring the Under 16 Boys and Girls Leagues.
(The PwC Basketball Under 16 Boys and Girls Leagues sponsorship plaque of appreciation presented by Michael Diamond to PwC’s Graeme Sunley, PwC Cayman’s territory leader)
PwC Sponsor Statement: Craig Smith, Partner at PwC says, “PwC is proud to support the PwC Basketball Under 16 Boys and Girls Leagues as we believe that organizations such as CIBA provide a positive outlet for the youth of the Cayman Islands and encourages the kids to stay active, develop their talents and provides local and overseas opportunities which in turn forms a strong foundation for success in the future. We also recognize the individuals who are vital to running the league efficiently by volunteering their time and efforts to ensure the season is a successful one.”
(The KPMG Basketball Under 14 Boys and Girls Leagues sponsorship check presented by Andrew Stepaniuk, Partner – Head of Audit, and Jodie McTaggart, Accounting Advisory Services Manager, of KPMG to Coach Voot and Michael Diamond of CIBA)
KPMG Sponsor Statement: “KPMG continues to support the Under 14 Basketball program as we see the value and benefits over the years that the students receive from participating, thanks to Coach Victor “Voot” O’Garro and his colleagues. We have seen the success of some of the participants continuing abroad and we look forward to the future success of other students in the program.” Andrew Stepaniuk, Partner at KPMG in the Cayman Islands stated.
CIBA has been the guiding path in sending close to 20 local Cayman youths on to prep schools in the U.S. over the past few years, with one local product Jorge Ebanks now playing professionally in Europe. Furthermore, the Cayman Islands National Men’s Basketball team won the gold medal at the most recent Island Games and is currently prepping to defend their title this summer in Gibraltar.
With anticipation of the 3rd inaugural Cayman Islands Classic Basketball tournament (featuring top D-1 programs from the U.S.) coming back to Grand Cayman in November, perhaps it is just a matter of short time until we see one of Cayman’s very own showcasing their talents in this annual tournament.
For more information on CIBA, including the CIBA program offerings along with sponsorship opportunities, visit the CIBA website at: https://caymanbasketball.com/
