A professional basketball player who played for Scotland for 10 years has established a basketball academy for school students here in Wānaka. 

Beth Mackie was a top basketball player in the British Basketball League until a hip injury ended her career in international competition. Now she has brought her skills to the local community with the formation of the Aspiring Basketball Academy. 

It was after a move to New Zealand to play for the Otago Goldrush team, and a subsequent change of plans when Covid-19 meant the team couldn’t play, that Beth initially decided to launch a series of summer basketball camps in Wānaka, Cromwell and Queenstown. 

Beth found “huge demand” for basketball and launched the academy on the back of the camps’ success. Her term one sessions are almost entirely booked out already.

Beth Mackie represented Scotland at basketball for a decade. 

“After the camps I had lots of parents and families asking for more training,” Beth told the Wānaka App. 

“My impression is that there isn’t much for basketball players here, that it’s not been a big sport in this part of New Zealand.”

Beth is offering three types of sessions for local players for a range of ages, but what she’s most excited about is showing dedicated players the opportunities that exist in basketball and the pathways to progression for playing professionally.

Scotland is a similar size to New Zealand, with about five million residents, and Beth wants to see basketball New Zealand offer the same kinds of opportunities it does in her home country. 

Operating with the support of major sponsor Build7, Beth is currently offering a mix of sessions for students of different ages and skill levels.

Beth has recently created the Aspiring Basketball Academy to create opportunities for playing basketball in Wānaka.

The first, for years 1-4, is the ‘Pocket Rocket’ sessions, which is designed to introduce young players to basketball. The kids play a range of games for an hour on lowered hoops.

“It’s about working on hand-eye coordination, learning to pass and that kind of thing,” Beth said.

The second session, the 3X3, is for players in years 7-10. In the 3X3, players play three-aside in a half court with games lasting ten minutes or until one side reaches 21.

Beth says the 3X3 game is very popular in Europe and South America: “It’s a much faster paced game and a way that people thought they could get more kids interested in the game.” 

3X3 players can also take part in the twice-weekly workout and development sessions that Beth holds, which makes them ‘academy’ players. 

She’s looking to expand the programme to include mindfulness training, personal training and other support, to provide all the support players need to reach the next level.

These players are working towards competing in the Junior Apples competition in October.

Beth says she’d like to see more girl players signing up, and in the future she hopes she can expand to include Wānaka and Queenstown where there has been lots of interest in ongoing basketball training.

Find more information about the Aspiring Basketball Academy here.

PHOTOS: Supplied