Skolasport, officially sponsored by Kellogg’s, has been offering baseball and basketball training within its programme for over ten years. These disciplines have always attracted a good quantity of participants as they offer good knowledge of the game, professional training and most important of all, fun.

Every Saturday morning, girls and boys aged between 11 and 16 years old take part in the two-hour sessions held at the Marsa Sports Ground.

Rueben Baldacchino and Emmanuel Pulis, both basketball coaches at Skolasport, organise each session according to the participants’ skills.

Sessions start off with some warming up and stretching activities and then continue with lessons on basketball-handling skills, game techniques and rules of the game. A game situation is used as a cool down activity. Each basketball session is concluded with a team discussion about health and physical fitness.

Similarly, baseball sessions kick off with various warm-up and stretching exercises. The youngsters learn basic fundamental techniques and the mechanics of the game, while practicing drills by covering every position in the game. This includes learning about the offensive and defensive positions. Other training required for this discipline includes weight and general physical training.

Baseball head coach and coordinator at Skolasport, Patrick Pace, commented that, over the years, there was a substantial increase in participation. Girls and boys participating in this discipline are trained in the principles of baseball with emphasis on proper defence, understanding the game, and developing a friendly, though competitive spirit.

While coaches give their players equal attention during the basketball and baseball sessions, talented players are followed more closely in their game moves. There was a substantial increase in participation. The youngsters take these sport disciplines very seriously and there have even been a number of players who were chosen for the respective national teams.

Skolasport is working to guarantee a healthier physical development in Malta’s younger generation while Kellogg’s promotes good nutrition and physical exercise for a healthy well-being.