GIRTON Grammar School has joined forces with the Bendigo Braves and Bendigo Spirit to deliver a specialist basketball program to its students.
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The school has seen a dramatic rise in the popularity of the sport over the past few years and now fields 26 teams.
Bendigo Braves' coach and program manager Ben Harvey said the main aim of the program was to develop the players and coaches, and give the students a better pathway to playing basketball.
He said Spirit and Braves players would form a vital part of the program and would offer support to parents in the form of coaching development.
"We are hoping to go to the next level of participation in basketball," he said.
"With the Braves and Spirit helping with the coaching, (the students) are going to be better players.
"At the end of the day we are going to be teaching kids to play basketball which they love and we love."
Girton Grammar School junior school basketball manager-in-charge Mark DiFede said the academy was a wonderful idea.
"We started with two girls teams, we now have six girls teams," he said.
"With the Bendigo Spirit and Braves, basketball is a well-supported sport at the school.
"I think the (academy) will further build on the interest of the sport in Bendigo."
