Australia’s greatest ever female Basketballer, Lauren Jackson, is proud to announce the establishment of the Lauren Jackson Basketball Academy.

The Lauren Jackson Basketball Academy will provide basketball enthusiasts, aged 15 – 18 years, with the opportunity to gain additional skills and experience that will ultimately assist them to define their future career and study options.

 
The 12-week program will supply Academy members with the coaching needed to further develop their game. They will learn key tactics for on-court success, techniques to improve conditioning, and be guided through drills that will improve their overall performance and skill-set.

Lauren Jackson boasts one of the most impressive sporting resumes ever achieved by an Australian athlete. Captain of the Opals, four-time Olympian, and three-time WNBA MVP, there is no better player to teach students the skills required for elite-level Basketball. Lauren will provide students with first-hand coaching and advice on the psychological techniques needed to navigate the elite level. The Academy will also place emphasis on teaching students how to research and prepare for their future career and study options.
Lauren will announce the details of the program at the Official Launch of the Lauren Jackson Basketball Academy on Thursday 6 June, 11am at North Melbourne Recreation Centre.

Speaking prior to the official launch, Jackson said “I have always wanted to give more back to the sport of Basketball and the youth of Australia. This is an exciting initiative for me and gives me the chance to pass on my experience and life lessons to help youth reach their goals and dreams. I don’t believe there are any limitations to what can be achieved personally and professionally and I strongly believe in having fun and enjoying the journey along the way.”

The Lauren Jackson Basketball Academy program has been put together in collaboration with Smart Connection Training, an award-winning Registered Training Organisation, which offers courses in sport and recreation across Australia.

In the initial phase, the 12-week Lauren Jackson Basketball Academy will be held across key Melbourne Basketball hubs, including Dandenong, Kilsyth, Knox and Nunawading. The program will then be implemented nationally, later this year.

The participants will engage across 12-weekly sessions, gaining invaluable advice and practical training about conquering the sports industry. This will include insight into gaining entry into sport and recreation-based jobs and the importance of assuming a leadership role to determine their future within Australia’s dynamic sporting industry. It will also present students with volunteering opportunities, to help gain industry experience. Students who complete the course will gain their National Qualification (Certificate I Vocational Preparation), and receive an Official Lauren Jackson Basketball Academy kit, complete with a signed certificate from Lauren herself.

The weekly sessions will incorporate a curriculum-based Basketball Improvement Program, developed by Lauren Jackson, in collaboration with elite coaches from across Australian Basketball. The aim of this program is to improve each participant’s skills, tactics and conditioning, and improve their overall ability on the basketball court. In what is sure to be a highlight for all students, the program includes a two-day intensive Jackson Jam Super Camp. Participants will learn directly from the Australian Basketball elite, when given the exciting opportunity to play alongside Lauren, other Opals, Boomers, WNBL, and NBL players during the school holidays at the Jackson Jam Super Camp.

“It’s not often students get the chance to be trained in their own “back yard” by one of the world’s top athletes,” says Martin Sheppard, Managing Director of Smart Connection Training. “This program has everything – life skills to help students gain a career in an exciting and fast-paced industry, but also an opportunity to train one-on-one with Lauren Jackson and have her share coaching tips to improve the way they play basketball.”