Children's basketball program

Project objective:

To contribute to the development of Santa Rosa de Copán's 4,500 children through the establishment of formal basketball instruction in the city's elementary schools.

Location:

Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras

Participants:

Rotary Club of Santa Rosa de Copán
Rotary Club of Livermore
Rotary District 5170, California, USA
The Rotary Foundation (grant MG 7662)
Ministry of Education, Government of Honduras
Santa Rosa de Copán Basketball League

Budget:

Basketballs	$1,554
Portable backboards	$1,518
Security lights, first aid kits	$614
Paint for courts	$520
Obstacle cones, whistles, nets, stopwatches	$331
Other expenditures	$174
Total, US$	$4,711

Time of execution:

June - September 1998

Status:

Successfully completed

None of Santa Rosa de Copán's several elementary schools has had adequate physical education facilities, equipment, nor physical education teachers. While technically part of the curriculum, physical education in Santa Rosa has traditionally left much to be desired.

Addressing this need, Rotarians from the Santa Rosa de Copán club brought together the city's basketball league and the Rotary Club of Livermore (California, USA) to plan and fund a physical education program consisting of equipment and qualified volunteer instructors traveling to participating elementary schools on a rotating basis. Once funding was received, Santa Rosa's Rotarians purchased the sporting goods needed (in some cases obtaining significant discounts) and assisted the city basketball league in getting instruction off to a fast and sound start. The project has been formally transferred to the basketball league, but local Rotarians continue to supervise the coaching and the care of the donated equipment.

Santa Rosa's basketball league liaised with the Honduran Ministry of Education prior to the purchase of the sporting gear, and recruited and trained volunteer coaches from among their membership. Once the equipment was purchased, the league set up pilot programs in the principal elementary schools of the city.

The project's stated objectives (greater social integration, better learning habits, improved conduct, and lowered incidence of truancy, drug abuse and juvenile delinquency among participating children) are long term and as such cannot yet be statistically measured. Anecdotal evidence given by teachers, social workers, and participating children, however, indicate that the project is meeting its objectives.

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