LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools students use their day off from classes to attend basketball clinics.

 

What You Need To Know

  • JCPS held free basketball clinics for elementary girls

  • Clinics were held at Central, Waggoner, Valley and Moore High Schools

  • JCPS hope to inspire more female students to continue athletics into high school

 

Even with the chance to sit back and relax, dozens of students are hitting the hardwood, trading class for a basketball clinic. Coach Deshawn Pendleton is leading the camp at Central High School near downtown Louisville. “We have some new, we have some kids that have a little bit of experience. It’s a blend of all,” Pendleton said.

On Monday, JCPS hosted basketball camps across the city for elementary school girls, giving them a chance to learn more about the sport. Deshawn Pendleton is also the head coach for Central’s High Schools girls’ team. “It’s been refreshing coming from coaching high school girls to coaching younger kids. You kind of have a different approach to it,” Pendleton said.

It’s the first time such an event has happened during teacher in service. More than 20 girls are participating at Central’s basketball clinic.

Ryan Bringhurst is the athletic director at Central High. “They are 3rd through 5th graders from various elementary schools,” Bringhurst said. The hope is this clinic will inspire more female students to participate in extracurriculars because, unfortunately, the number of girls competing in athletics drops significantly from middle to high school. “We just hope as we do this and as we grow this and do it in other sports that we just continue to grow our participation numbers,” Bringhurst said. 

And what better way to inspire the young athletes than with the help of the upperclassmen because on Monday members of Pendleton’s varsity and junior varsity teams are also helping him coach this basketball camp. 

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