Girls basketball returns to Dingwall Academy with new strips provided by Macleod and MacCallum and Ross-shire Engineering
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Basketball has returned to Dingwall Academy after a new group started up for first year girls.
Guidance teacher Mairi Brooman, herself a keen basketball player since her school days and part of the Highland Bears, wanted to establish the group as a way to get children active – physically and socially – after opportunities were limited because of the pandemic.
So far, it has been a roaring success, with around 30 girls attending every week and matches already under their belts against schools from the Inverness area.
“I just thought it would be a nice thing for the first years to attend a sports club to make friends,” Brooman said.
“I thought there would be a few keen beans, but it’s nice to have such a big group along that are all different abilities.
“I think they’ve made friendships with people they might not have, because they didn’t know each other from primary school. It has been nice for them to settle in to Dingwall Academy.
“The aim is to get more games on the go, and we will go along to any tournaments.
“We’re hoping to establish a link with P7s early on, so that it can help with their transition from primary to secondary. We’re hoping this will be a foundation for girls’ basketball at Dingwall Academy really.
“We’re not just going to stop after S1, we can build up from there – maybe build a Dingwall Academy basketball empire! You never know.”
Although it is early days for the club, they have received backing from local companies Ross-shire Engineering and Macleod and MacCallum in the form of sponsored kits after Brooman made the most of personal connections.
It has made a big difference already – both in terms of looking like a team, but also in the enthusiasm that is clearly emanating through from the girls involved.
Brooman has seen that first hand with a palpable excitement through the group when the new kit arrived.
“We didn’t have any basketball shirts to wear when we went to our first game – we borrowed from the Highland Bears,” she added.
“It’s so nice to see the girls be proud of what they are wearing.
“It’s a sense of identity for them, they were all buzzing to have the kit, so we want to thank both companies for sponsoring us because it makes such a difference.
“We were pulling in the friends and family to set the girls up, but the kits look great and it’s great to see that the girls are delighted to have them on.”
