BALL extends one BALL Campaign to Ijora, Donates Basketball shoes to Female Players*
In a bid to promote sports participation among young people, particularly girls, the Ball Activating Literacy and Leadership (BALL) organisation has donated 25 pairs of basketball shoes to female players in Lagos.
BALL, through its “One BALL Campaign” aims to provide young people with the necessary equipment to excel in their chosen sport.
According to Oluwafemi Adefeso, the convener of BALL, “We are intentional about inviting girls this time because we’ve seen a higher turnout of boys in our previous events. We want to be deliberate about getting girls involved in sports.”
The donation which took place at the Gaskiya College Ijora, Lagos was accompanied by a basketball clinic, where the girls received training and mentorship from experienced coaches and players.
Mr Adefeso emphasised the importance of education in addition to sports, stating, “For me, personally, why I started this was because I found myself in the US interviewing LeBron James a few years back. I also wanted to play with or against LeBron James, but that never materialised. But then through the vehicle of sports journalism, I found myself there. But if I didn’t have education, I wouldn’t have gotten there.”
Gradual impact
Since its inception, BALL has touched over 2000 kids through their mentorship programs and has given out about 300 sports equipment.
Mr Adefeso expressed gratitude to donors who have supported their cause, saying, “We’ve tried so far, and God has been fortunate to us. We’ve received donations from individuals who believe in our cause.”
Tokunbo Omodele, a friend of Adefeso’s living in California as well as Ball2Thrive sent a couple of shoes to support the initiative.
Mr Adefeso noted, “Those shoes are what we are giving out today to the girls, just to add to whatever they have. So those who have worn out shoes today can at least get a new pair.”
The organisation aims to expand its reach and provide more opportunities for young people to develop their skills in various sports.
Mr Adefeso noted, “We are open to all sports, basketball is easier for me because I played, but we are always willing to stretch beyond because it’s about the young people.”
Mentorship and Advocacy
In addition to the equipment donation, BALL also provides mentorship and advocacy programs to help young people develop their skills and pursue their dreams.
Adefeso stated, “Our mentorship and advocacy programs are designed to help young people understand that there are many career paths in sports beyond playing. We want to help them develop their skills and pursue their passions.”
The event featured three incredible speakers, including D’Tigress 3X3 Basketball captain, Theresa Mac-Dangosu, Rivers Hoopers Media and Communications Manager, Queen John-Moseph, and the head of TEDx Lagos, Mercy Akamo.
They encouraged the girls to dare to dream, believe in themselves, and pursue their passions.
As Mr Adefeso noted, “Sports is not only about playing, there’s somebody that is the agent of the player that is also a millionaire. There’s somebody that is a lawyer of the player that is also doing well. There’s a team that has a general manager, the President of Operations, a kit person, a doctor, a photographer.”
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