Drew Sullivan, captain of the Great Britain Basketball team, visited Nene Park Academy to give students a masterclass on the sport, which has seen its popularity soar since this year’s Olympic Games.
Nene Park Academy was selected by Sky Sports as part of its ‘Living for Sport’ initiative – which aims to encourage more girls into team sport. Drew discussed this initiative, Basketball, and the Olympics in a presentation to hundreds of engrossed students.
After giving the talk I grabbed a few words with the 6ft 8in sporting legend.
Drew seemed surprised by the response from his presentation saying – “Many students I speak to seem to be really into football, so it was nice to see everyone so engaged and interested in the subject of Basketball.”
I personally hadn’t seen a room filled with so many youngsters being so quiet. They were clearly inspired by the star’s words. I wondered what those wanting to get into the sport should do. Drew explained – “To play professionally you have to practice, practice, practice! People shouldn’t be put off by the fact that they don’t feel they’re fit enough or tall enough. They need to find a gym or club where they can play, and just keep playing. Maybe then an opportunity will arise.”
Unfortunately for me, practice doesn’t mean playing once every few months with your mates. “On a daily basis I try to play for two hours,” said Drew. “If time allows it I’ll then just shoot for an hour. Then there’s lifting, getting fitter, and watching video footage of how your competition play. This can soon add up to four or five hours per day.”
Drew grew up just a few miles away from the Olympic Stadium. Playing so close to home might put off some people, but not this particular player. “It made me play a little better if anything,” Drew revealed “and certainly made my life a lot easier. On days off between games I watched films with my Uncle and had dinner with my mum, whilst catching up with other family members and friends.”
On the subject of the Olympics, Drew continued – “I think GB did brilliant. We proved we have some amazing talent and we put on a show. Rio is going to have to do something truly incredible to outdo us in 2016.”
Friend to ESP Magazine, Louis Smith, has described many times how incredible it is to play at the Olympics. I felt the same passion from Drew, especially describing how – “During training I met one of my heroes, Will Smith. I grew up watching the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Meeting him and attending the premier of Men in Black 3 is an experience I shall never forget.”
By looking at the engrossed faces of the Nene Park Academy students, meeting Drew Sullivan is an experience they won’t forget.
The Basketball star also plays for the oldest operating basketball team in the country, Leicester Riders. Why not take the short journey from Peterborough to see him in action. Simply visit www.leicesterriders.co.uk for tickets.
Mikey Clarke
Photos: Chris Brudenell for ESP Magazine.
Team GB Basketball Star, Drew Sullivan, visits Academy
Drew Sullivan, captain of the Great Britain Basketball team, visited NeneParkAcademy this afternoon to give students a masterclass on the sport, which has seen its popularity soar since this year’s Olympic Games.
NeneParkAcademy was selected by Sky Sports as part of its ‘Living for Sport’ initiative – which aims to encourage more girls into team sport. Drew discussed this initiative, Basketball, and the Olympics to hundreds of engrossed students.
After giving the talk I grabbed a few words with the 6ft 8in sporting legend.
Drew seemed surprised by the response from his presentation saying, “Many students I speak to seem to be really into football, so it was nice to see everyone so engaged and interested in the subject of Basketball.”
I personally hadn’t seen a room filled with so many youngsters being so quiet. They were clearly inspired by the stars words. I wondered what those wanting to get into the sport should do. Drew explained, “To play professionally you have to practice, practice, practice! People shouldn’t be put off by the fact that they don’t feel they’re fit enough or tall enough. They need to find a gym or club where they can play, and just keep playing. Maybe then an opportunity will arise.”
Unfortunately for me, practice doesn’t mean playing once every few months with your mates. “On a daily basis I try to play for two hours,” Drew said. “If time allows it I’ll then just shoot for an hour. Then there’s lifting, getting fitter, and watching video footage of how your competition play. This can soon add up to four or five hours per day.”
Drew grew up just a few miles away from the Olympic Stadium. Playing so close to home might put off some people, but this particular player. He said, “It made me play a little better if anything, and certainly made my life a lot easier. On days off between games I watched films with my Uncle and had dinner with my mum, whilst catching up with other family members and friends.”
On the subject of the Olympics, Drew continued, “I thing GB did brilliant. We proved we have some amazing talent and we put on a show. Rio is going to have to do something truly incredible to outdo us in 2016.”
Friend to ESP Magazine, Louis Smith, has described many times how incredible it is to play at the Olympics. I felt the same passion from Drew, especially describing how, “During training I met one of my heroes, Will Smith. I grew up watching the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Meeting him and attending the premier of Men in Black 3 is an experience I shall never forget.”
By looking at the engrossed faces of the NeneParkAcademy students, meeting Drew Sullivan is an experience they won’t forget.
The Basketball star also plays for the oldest operating basketball team in the country, Leicester Riders. Why not take the short journey from Peterborough to see him in action. Simply visit www.leicesterriders.co.uk for tickets.