HILARY HOSIA
The ongoing elementary–level basketball league commissioned by the Public School System’s Sports and Extracurricular Program is attracting young talents to the most beloved game in the country: basketball.
Not only is the program creative in its inclusion of both public and private elementary schools in the sport, they are providing a platform where more young female athletes can grow, a development that benefits both Marshall Islands in scouting potential talent and at the same time attracting funding from the international basketball federation.
A great example was the matchup between two middle school teams from Assumption and Majuro Cooperative School last week that showcased six talent players, who, if nurtured right, could dominate in the future.
Keyword here is nurture. Most Marshallese girls especially in Majuro get to play basketball in organized sport events, like the SEP-run league. Other than that, only few who show interest for the game play alongside boys in their neighborhood.
The Assumption/Coop bout ended with Assumption winning by a single basket at 30-28 and if you were a coach or share enthusiasm for the sport, you’d conclude that coaching and sustained nurturing is needed to shape the future of RMI ballers.
If RMI starts early, girls here will have the same drive and set of skills as kids growing up in Guam and the US.
Read more about this in the September 20, 2019 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.