IN an effort to advance the skills and knowledge of basketball players in the national development squad, including improving their academics and gaining real-life experience in business and investment of the sport, the Jamaica Basketball Association (JaBA) has launched an Incubator Academy.

President Ajani Williams said the incubator academy “is mentoring young and up-and-coming men and women”.

Twelve men and 12 women will become part of the academy which has as its objectives “to create an incubator model for other individuals and clubs to duplicate to the best of their abilities. For the players this academy is to emphasise skill and technique development through basic and advanced basketball techniques, coupled with repetition at game-time speeds.

“US collegiate, NBA, and Eastern European techniques, along with originally developed techniques that will be unique to Jamaica, are utilised extensively,” explained the JaBA president.

Williams will spearhead and coach the technical camps of the academy, supported by vice-president Richard Pollack, who will serve as one of the assistant coaches for the national senior women’s team.

“If success is realised a decade out, it will bring people to Jamaica both for skills development and summer and other basketball tournaments as has been gradually realised in track,” Williams added.

He believes that these efforts will help Jamaica retain students through high school graduation “while still being able to go to high-powered Division One schools versus leaving in fourth form for high schools in the US”.

Another ingredient of the incubator academy is “sport-specific and movement-specific strength-training”, which the Spartan Health Club sponsorship has assisted in.

“Steve Ming is currently serving as the team’s sole trainer and has already realised gains with Andrew Whilby of Tivoli Wizards, gaining almost 10 pounds in 4 weeks, and young 6ft 11in Calabar High School phenom Vashil Fernandez gaining around six pounds in three short weeks.

“Sachel Samuels, who would like to become a bone doctor, is hoping to revive her passion and drive for the game to attempt to get a scholarship to the US to pursue her studies and has already seen significant improvements in her game.

“On the academic push both Vashil and his high school teammate Shevaughn Lewis will be placed in CXC extra lessons for Math and also enrolled in the already existing partnership SAT programme with Quality Academics.

“The ultimate objective is to get some of these young people on scholarships in the US and locally and have them more technically and skill set ready… It will enable them to have a real chance at one day playing for the senior national teams, which is becoming more competitive.

“Last but definitely not least for the players who are outside of the window in attaining scholarships to the US or local universities, is to give these players a tangible chance to go pro regionally in countries like Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and even initially play Division 2 in Europe in countries such as France and others.

“Salaries range from about US$4,000-$30,000 per month in the Latin American region and US$8,000-$30,000 per month in Division 2 European regions and as high as US$100,000 per month for Division 1 European tournaments, where Jamaicans are considered Bosman B players, which is a secondary European status.

“This status creates a big advantage for many teams not wanting to go over their two US/International player maximum”, explained Williams.

For the Incubator Academy, players from the National Basketball League, Women’s leagues and high school have been selected and will include Javon Bailey of Urban Kinghts; Dovian Wade, a high talent point guard from Port Royal Bulls; Kebo Wright from JDF; Levar Rose from Hoopers in MoBay; Leroy Lawrence from Jaguars in MoBay; Navij Walker from Pythons in Mandeville: Navene Powell from Lady Angels; Mellisa Farquharson, among others.

An official announcement of the players will be made soon.