From dreams of making it in the big leagues to staving off boredom after school, a basketball academy in Noida’s Gejha village is giving children from underprivileged families something to look forward to.
Started in August 2014 with just five students on a half-court, Dribble Academy has now expanded to a point where its founder, Pradyut Voleti, says he has trouble accommodating all students at the daily training sessions, which have been split into three batches.
Lack of infrastructure
“I started the academy in Gejha because there was no such infrastructure in the village. The government school here lacked facilities for sports. I wanted to give the children an opportunity to channelise their energy,” says Mr. Voleti, an internationally-educated basketball skill development trainer.
Located on the premises of the National Education Mission Public School in Gejha village, the court, which was donated by a well-wisher, comes alive every afternoon.
Anywhere between 130 to 200 children, aged between four and 15 years and including 70 girls, make their way here, past open drains clogged with garbage. The sound of basketballs bouncing off the court and children cheering makes the court, surrounded by bright murals and motivational messages on the walls, resemble a world away from Gejha.
Most adult residents of the village work in the nearby high-rise apartments as domestic helps and chauffeurs.
Stress-free environment
According to Mr. Voleti, many of the academy’s students come from homes where domestic abuse and alcoholism are the norm. Getting out on the court every day after school is not just about honing their basketball skills, but also about offering them a stress-free environment, he says.
“Drug abuse is also a problem in the village, like it is in many Indian villages. By giving the children somewhere to go after school, they are kept away from it,” says Mr. Voleti.
Incidentally, a documentary based on the academy by Varun Tandon is slated for release soon.
Not just sports
Earlier this week, on an unusually-warm February day, the children began arriving at the court around 3.30 p.m. But before they could start warming up and practising, they went into a classroom that looks onto the court for the mandatory one-hour academic session.
Mr. Voleti says the academy wants to “nurture student athletes”, which is why the children have a one-hour class where a documentary is screened or an English teacher goes through reading comprehension exercises.
While the teacher told one group of students a story about Clifford, a cartoon dog, another bunch of children were warming up on the court.
Then, splitting up into smaller groups, it was time to practice lay-ups and shooting.
Scholarship awarded
Among those practising that day was 12-year-old Shaily Upadhyay, who was one of the first few students to join the academy in 2014.
Last year, she won a five-year basketball scholarship to attend Shiv Nadar School in Noida.
With her father working as a driver and a home-maker mother, Shaily says the doors that basketball opened for her would have not been possible before.
“Now, my goal is to represent India and play in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). I think I can do it. Sometimes I get angry with myself on the court if I’m unable to perform. But, then I stop and think, and try again,” she says.
Basketball not only goal
Like her, the other students of Dribble Academy are aiming high.
And, basketball is not the only goal.
Twelve-year-old Kanchan Pal, who has been attending the academy for a year, says: “I used to get bored at home after school. But, now I have something to do. I like basketball, but I want to grow up to be a police officer and help poor people.”
Mr. Voleti says that apart from learning the sport, the children have also learnt to become more disciplined.
“They have become leaders,” he says.
