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Free Liverpool Basketball Tournament In Chavasse Park By Toxteth El8te CIC Set To Help Young People
More than 200 young basketball players will be holding court this week as a ground-breaking new basketball tournament gets underway right at the heart of Liverpool ONE, inlcuding the Toxteth El8te team.
Three v Three is the basketball equivalent of football’s five-a-side and more than 60 teams will be vying against each other on a purpose-built court installed on Chavasse Park in Liverpool ONE.
The tournament is the brainchild of Toxteth El8te CIC, the event is set to be the first ever large-scale 3x3 basketball tournament in the Liverpool City Region.
The five-day tournament, which starts on Wednesday 16th August 2023, will encourage participation in the burgeoning sport by showcasing some sizzling basketball skills, culminating in a grand final on Sunday afternoon.
Free open coaching and mentoring sessions will also be on offer for young people to try every day at the specially-installed court.
Toxteth El8te CIC is a Liverpool based elite basketball programme that offers high level provision free of charge. Founded in Toxteth in 2022, it has grown in reputation and prominence nationally since its inception.
Toxteth El8te CIC extravaganza will take place between 10am – 4pm on 16th to 20th August 2023 at Chavasse Park, Liverpool ONE
'The power of sport is incredible. By providing opportunities like this we are not only keeping young people happier and healthier, we are also building their resilience and channelling their energy and abilities into positive activities during the school summer holidays.' - Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell.
For one local youngster, 'B-Ball' has already become the passport to a potential life in the United States of America. Blaize Turner-Coleman (Pictured) has been attending basketball sessions at the Firefit Youth and Community Hub in Toxteth and he believes the intense skills and fitness training – offered free by Basketball England and supported by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership and Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner – offer the best chance at a career slam dunk.
Blaize Turner-Coleman, the talented 14-year-old from Birkenhead in the Liverpool City Region's Borough of Wirral, who first started shooting hoops aged five, said: 'I’m home schooled because when I went into class my four hours a day training left me tired – and I would fall asleep.'
He added: 'While football clubs have academies, there are no elite sporting schools in Liverpool and so I am waiting until I am 16 to look at going to the States.'
Blaize who is six-feet tall and plays Point Guard (similar to a midfielder in football) has already travelled to Birmingham, Leeds, and Leicester to play, opportunities which have helped him to develop his confidence and self-belief.
He added: 'If it weren’t for the project, I would be looking at some serious outlay for shoes and kit and it can cost £50 a session just to train and play.'
Toxteth El8te’s Emile Coleman, said: 'The inaugural LVP 3X3 Tournament is set to be a ground-breaking event, bringing the first ever large-scale basketball competition right into the heart of the city, at the Liverpool ONE shopping complex.'
Emile added: 'Prepare for some unforgettable moments, jaw-dropping skills, and the joy of uniting the city through the power of basketball! Come, play, and conquer!'
Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell, said: 'Basketball is the second highest participation sport in the UK, but there is currently a lack of resources available for young people to get involved.'
Commissioner Spurrell added: 'Through the Region’s first ever large-scale, free 3X3 Basketball Tournament we are trying to change that - giving more than 200 young people the opportunity to showcase their skills on a brilliant stage, while also hopefully inspiring and encouraging hundreds more to take up the sport.'
The Commissioner said: 'The power of sport is incredible. By providing opportunities like this we are not only keeping young people happier and healthier, we are also building their resilience and channelling their energy and abilities into positive activities during the school summer holidays. This all helps to create brighter futures and a lasting legacy for our Region.'
Debi McAndrew, Early Years Education Lead for the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership, said: 'Becoming involved in sport is more than a mere distraction for young people. As we have seen from projects we have funded across Merseyside, fitness of body and mind improves and self-confidence grows, which makes it much easier for young people to achieve their goals.'
Debi added: 'Other benefits include broadening the mind, becoming involved with people from all walks of life and developing respect for agencies such as the council and police, who are involved in the Toxteth project.'
'If it weren’t for the project, I would be looking at some serious outlay for shoes and kit and it can cost £50 a session just to train and play.' - Blaize Turner-Coleman, a talented 14-year-old from Birkenhead, who is part of the Toxteth El8te CIC project.
Iain Finlayson, Estate Director at Liverpool ONE, said: 'We are delighted to support the inaugural 3x3 basketball tournament at Liverpool ONE. Positively impacting the lives of young people is at the heart of our community initiatives.'
Iain added: 'By supporting grassroots sport organisations, we invest in more than just sports, we invest in the future of the young people across the Region, improving their confidence and mental health.'
The tournament has been supported by Merseyside VRP, Liverpool ONE, Merseyside Police, Basketball England, Concordia Clinic, Wedge Collective, Nothin About The Music and Elite Portal.
In total, 20 Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) have been established across England and Wales to help deliver the Government’s Serious Violence Strategy to tackle knife and gun crime and homicide.
The VRP brings together subject leads and experts from Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue, local government, National Probation Service and the county’s Youth Offending Service, health and education professionals, community leaders and other key partners.
Police and Crime Commissioners lead on commissioning these multi-agency units in their areas, bringing together strategic partners to deliver system-wide interventions to prevent and reduce crime.
In Merseyside, our unit was renamed the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) because we believe the word ‘partnership’ reflects the way we work and approach this challenge.
For more information, please visit the Toxteth El8te website.