One of Arsenal‘s stars recently visited the Hawks basketball academy in Islington
Abou Diaby, Arsenal midfielder, takes a shot at the Hawks basketball academy
So, who are the Hawks?
A new academy for basketball in the borough, based in St Mary’s Magdalene Academy. It’s been running since October 2009 and calls itself the “grassroots basketball development for London.”
And, what do they do exactly?
They coach teams, run basketball training camps and have sessions for people to learn about the sport. The academy works with Islington Sport, the council’s initiative to improve sport in the borough, and Arsenal FC Premier League 4 Sports Programme, as part of their premier league for sports.
That’s great, but why are we talking about this now?
The Hawks’ under-16 team will be competing in the finals of the Central Venue League (CVL). They will face Lambeth, Spartans and Kennington & Chelsea in the finals.
Is this only for young people?
Sadly, yes. The academy only works with schools in the area. So older budding basketball stars will have to look elsewhere.
Bennie Bonsu, director and coach at Hawks Basketball Academy said: “We get schools to send us their brightest and best to train with us.”
Under 14s, over 16s and over 18s will play in next week’s finals. They take kids from Highbury Grove, St Mary Magdalene, and Greig City Academy.
What’s next for the academy?
The future’s looking bright for the Hawks, according to Ms Bonsu, “training for next year’s team has already started and they are looking strong!”
Where can I find out more?
