Wildcats Nurturing Young Talent Through Professional Support At An Early Age

The “Wildcats” are our children, they are optimally supported and get all basketball basics of the sport they love. (official website: www.wildcatsntsv.org)

The Wildcats basketball team has been growing and improving from season to season.

In our first year of 2015, we were a small fun team comprising of 8 girls and boys. Our main aim was to teach the kids how to play basketball with enthusiasm, team spirit and motivation.

The coaches achieved this goal and in the next few years the “Wildcats family” grew steadily.

Essential in our concept is the continuous improvement through training therefore training sessions are developed and tailored to the player’s needs.

How do we achieve it?  The more active their bodies are, the more active their brains will become, and physical engagement is a facilitator of mental and personal development.

Wildcats Building Bridges

Wildcats Building Bridges creates synergies amongst various Basketball Developmental entities. We learn more from each other than we do from ourselves. Coaches, players, administrators interact through their love for Basketball Development, and strengthen their resolve to see their programs through. Our tournament as the name says , is a platform for Basketball development to connect.

Wildcats -Triple Threat Partnership

Our mission with Building Bridges is to provide equal Sporting opportunities for kids in marginalized communities.These kids play on on dusty courts, without hoops, using soccer balls for basketballs, bare feet even. But what stands out and propels them is their genuine love for the sport. Their dream is to become the best they can be and we(Building Bridges and Triple Threat) must do our part to help ease the  process.

Triple Threat has carried out over a dozen tournaments,in multiple provinces of Zimbabwe resources permitting, we endeavor to cover all 10 provinces and beyond the Zimbabwean borders. We have come across primary schools in different shapes in terms of their organizational structures, and helped set up developmental programs. We have always deliberately highlighted the need for the girl child to be afforded an equal sporting chance. The groups we have worked with are more or less at similar levels of need. No basketball courts, no bibs, no shoes or socks, no qualified coaches but very enthusiastic teachers and community volunteers.

Awards

image0 (1)
History Winners
image5
History Winners
image2 (2)
History Winners
image1
History Winners
image1 (2)
History Winners

Interview with Nyaradzai Ngwerume (Coach 25)

Question: You work with a lot of dedication and emotions for the Wildcats Youth development program – What is the motivation behind it?

“If you have a strong purpose in life, you don’t have to be pushed. Your passion will drive you there.

The Wildcats program is like my baby, to nature it and watch it grow and flourish is purpose enough. Wildcats is the family I chose!”

Question: What is important to you when training with basketball starters?

“Making it fun and encouraging kids to do their best”

Question: What is your method of teaching and how do the children learn your concepts?

“I focus on equipping children not only to be good at basketball but apply the skills they learn in everyday life. I mainly focus on the following 4 aspects.

  • Learning how to take feedback.
  • Improve communication
  • Setting goals and accomplishing them
  • Focus

The children learn to push themselves and at the same time we encourage the players to have fun.

We don’t compare the children to one other but instead encourage and acknowledge each player’s strengths and weaknesses and help them develop their own path.”

Question How significant is Team Spirit and Chemistry for the success of the team?

“Team Spirit and chemistry are the heart of the team.

It is not the team with the best players that wins, It’s the players with the best team that win.

The children work hard at home to have good habits and in the gym , they train with joy, the fun of the game is very important for the children.

The experience of team sport is enriching for every child, as it teaches social skills such as cooperation, empathy, team responsibility and communication skills.

By constantly dealing with the coaches and the team, the children develop good self-awareness and critical competence.

The cooperation and help from parents is extremely important to the trainers. The parents support their children and help shape their success.

In the 2021 season, there are already ten”Wildcats teams” with nearly 120 active children playing. We are very proud that 3 of those teams are in Hamburg’s highest leagues in their age groups “Leistungsrunde” . We are extremely proud , humbled and excited for our 2006 boys 1st team for being Hamburg 2 time Champions and this season for being the first Hamburg Youth Team to be welcomed to the European Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Central Division.”

Interview mit Coach Kai

 The importants thing if I work with girls is to be proud of yourself, everyone of you is special and you can be everything! 

Interview mit Coach Kai 

 Frage: Sie arbeiten mit viel Engagement für die Jugendabteilung Basketball im NTSV – Was ist Ihre Motivation dahinter? 

Ich möchte die Kinder und Jugendlichen in ihrer Entwicklung unterstützen, sowohl persönlich als auch sportlich. Zu sehen wie SpielerInnen immer schwierigere Aufgaben meistern und auf der anderen Seite soziale und strukturelles Denken perfektionieren ist ein enormer Antrieb. 

Frage: Was ist Ihnen beim Training mit Basketballanfängern wichtig?  

Sie sollen Spaß haben, sich präsentieren können und feststellen, dass der Satz „Das kann ich nicht!“ fast immer nur eine Momentaufnahme ist. 

Frage: Welche Möglichkeiten haben die Kinder ihre Kompetenzen auszubauen? 

Sie haben verschiedene Möglichkeiten, die offensichtlichste ist die sportliche/athletische Kompetenz. Die Frustrationstoleranz die vielen Kindern und Erwachsenen fehlt wird aber genauso gefördert und dürfte in der Schule weiterhelfen.  

Als Sozialpädagoge ist mir aber vor allem das miteinander Umgehen, Ziele als Team zu erreichen und auch mal zurückstecken ein wichtiges Anliegen.  

Die letzte Kompetenz, die ich nennen möchte von vielen die noch genannt werden müssten, ist die Selbstkompetenz, die die SpierInnen entwickeln werden. Das fängt bei der Tasche an („Du bist verantwortlich für deine Tasche, deine Eltern helfen/ unterstützen dich nur.“) und endet bei Coaches die ihre eigenen Teams Organisieren. 

No boy is better than you because he is a boy! 

Frage: Welchen Stellenwert hat der Zusammenhalt im Team für den Erfolg der Mannschaft? 

Der Zusammenhalt ist der wichtigste Faktor aus meiner Sicht. Mir geht es darum, dass sich SpielerInnen entwickeln, wenn Talent vorhanden ist, wird dies zweifelsohne zu Siegen führen. Wenn das Talent nicht in Fülle da ist, können SpielerInnen trotzdem viel erreichen, wenn der Teamgeist stimmt, weil sie sich Herausforderungen stellen und wachsen werden, 👍🏻✌🏻. 

Be present,  be tough and do what you want to do💪🏻 it is all there inside you👍🏻✌🏻😉 

Gruß, Coach Kai