Group donates basketball shoes to female players in Lagos

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.

Through its ‘One BALL Campaign’, the group aims to provide young people with the necessary equipment to excel in their chosen sport.

“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,” said Femi Adefeso, the convener of BALL.

The donation took place at the Gaskiya College Ijora, Lagos, alongside 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.

He added, “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 its mentorship programmes and has given away 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, a friend of Adefeso’s living in California, and 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.

“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,” Mr Adefeso said.

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.

“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,” Adefeso said.

The event featured three speakers: Theresa Mac-Dangosu, the D’Tigress 3X3 basketball captain; Queen John-Moseph, the Rivers Hoopers Media and Communications Manager; and Mercy Akamo, the head of TEDx Lagos.

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They encouraged the girls to dare to dream, believe in themselves, and pursue their passions.

“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,” Mr Adefeso said.