OUR NEWS
NEWS DETAILS
Impactful First International Basketball Camp at University of Bolton Raises the Bar for Basketball Development in Greater Manchester
- Published on Sunday 18 August 2024
Aethlos, in collaboration with the University of Bolton and Activemedia Group, hosted the inaugural International Basketball Development Camp in Bolton, Greater Manchester. The five-day summer camp provided young basketball players with a valuable opportunity to enhance their skills.
Young players, aged between 14 and 18, traveled from as far as Malta and Greece to be coached by basketball legend Joe Arlauckas, a former professional player and one of the 101 greatest players in European basketball.
Joe said, “There are some talented kids here and our aim is to help them develop their skills, perhaps learn one new element that will improve their game. It is a good opportunity for them. From what I have seen of the University, I’m very impressed; the facilities are really great.”
Two of the young players, Josh Rotherham, aged 15, from Manchester, and Simon Salami, 16, from London, said they were enjoying the experience. Josh commented, “It’s great to be learning from such good coaches. I want to be a professional basketball player and this is a really good way to learn.”
Anastasios Traianos, a former professional basketball player in the top leagues of Greece and the British Basketball League with the Manchester Giants, organised the camp. He said, “Our program is designed to train young players physically, emotionally, and mentally. We wanted to go beyond traditional basketball camps to provide young players with the opportunity to broaden their horizons and have an extraordinary experience.”
He added, “As a player, Joe was one of the best to ever play the game, and as a coach, he has a wealth of experience in young player development both on and off the court. He has been involved in numerous basketball development programs across the world, helping athletes achieve their full potential. We are extremely grateful to have him at the University of Bolton. This is significant not only for Bolton but also for British basketball.”
The week also included basketball-specific workouts to prepare for the physical demands of the game, as well as comprehensive performance evaluation and laboratory testing to provide athletes with a deeper insight into their strengths, areas for improvement, and performance capabilities.
The young players also experienced the full University of Bolton environment, including a trip to the Anderton Centre to develop teamwork, leadership, and communication skills. They also had access to the University’s superb facilities, including a visit to the National Centre for Motorsport Engineering (NCME) and state-of-the-art sports science support from highly trained professionals.
