Services
Sessions and classes
Starlites offers classes for all children, adolescents and seniors. Classes in mini basketball are held for categories Under 6, Under 8, Under 10 and under 12, boys and girls. Each category has its own curriculum and targets. The younger categories are provided with activities which target Physical Literacy and fundamental movement skills. The older the child grows, the more fundamental sports skills are introduced. Starlites offers all children opportunities for development, fun and also low key competitive environments which are greatly enjoyed by all.
From the mini basketball sector, children graduate to the cadets/cadettes sectors where they are first introduced to a ranking competition, Sessions are held twice week and games are played every fortnight. This category includes young teens between the ages of 12 and 14yrs of age. Within this category the first selective teams are formed. Participants may not necessarily be in the competitive team, however opportunities to play and compete are organized regularly. From this category children move into the junior sector (Under 16’s). Here sessions are targeting sport specialisation where specific roles, physical training together with sport specific training is strengthened. Individual training components are introduced to fit the needs and demands of each and every individual. The junior sector progresses to the young women and young men categories (Under 20) Here it is normal for the athletes to be also part of the senior squad. Training sessions are run 3-4 times a week. Competition levels increase. Specific training is focused on skill development, tactical and technical development.
All sessions are run at MCAST (Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology) sports halls in Naxxar. Mini basketball classes are run on Saturdays and Thursdays. All other sessions are held during the week in the evenings.
Providing service to the Community
Starlites basketball club and its philosophy of active lifestyles have been invited on a number of occasions to serve the community. Starlites team have been involved in a physical active event with a group of children from a local parish and during Xmas festivities within the Balzan MUSEUM group. Starlites team have also been invited on a number of occasions to take part in The celebrations of World Children’s day during which sport and physical activity are given exposure. The aim of these activities is simply to get active and move more !
Team building
Given that Starlites nursery is made up of people with expertise in the areas of Physical Education and sport Pedagogy, qualified Physical Education teachers and people with years of experience in working with children and education programmes, further expansion of ideas and programmes focusing on ways of increasing physical activity, increasing cooperative qualities and team building needs are areas which could be confidently provided and planned. Programmes of activities which target physical activity and team building can be developed for groups of people who are willing to take an active part, mix in and join in the fun. Qualities of team building could be either integrated or separated from the physical active domain. Activities and level of physical activity is adjusted depending on the audience.
The programme is based on a number of stations during which participants are involved in games, fun activities which challenge the physical domain. Physical exertion is the aim of these stations. Stations are planned so as to allow for recovery. Active stations are followed by less active ones. Stations are usually between 7-10 minutes long in duration, and are varied depending on the level of skill of participants and also the number of participants within the stations. Participants are encouraged to remain active within the stations. Physical activity is not isolated in ways that make the same physical exertion a sacrifice. Activities are planned and designed in ways which disguise the exertion by fun, creativity and innovation.
A number of physical active stations aim at challenging not just the physical Domain. Other domains within the field of activity include the Cognitive, the Social and Affective Domains. Combining activities which target at challenging these other domains will help provide a more holistic approach to exercise. Physically demanding activities can be integrated with cognitive challenges which motivates participants to indulge in decision making during physical exertion! The social domain will challenge group cohesion elements. Such qualities will be also explained to the whole group during and after the events are carried out. The importance of sharing ideas, respecting decisions and working as a team are a few qualities from within the Social domain.
Team building activities are either isolated for teams within the stations, or else included as part of the stations. These depend on the qualities and objectives of each activity and the programme itself.
The programme of the full event is presented to the organization purchasing the workshop after all details and requested documents are provided. Such details include :
- Number of participants taking part
- Age bracket of participants
- Time frame for event and preferred venue (Date must be set and agreed upon minimally 30 days before the event)
- Aims and targets of the workshop
- Provision of medical certificates (evidence of no physical health problems and allowance for active movement)
The number of participants taking place will determine the number of Starlites Leaders involved within the workshop. The ratio varies between 1:10 (1 leader for every 10 participants). This however depends on the quality and type of activities carried out. Such managerial issues are discussed prior to the organization of the event. Duration of the event is normally between 90 and 120 minutes. Duration may also be negotiated beforehand.
All participants are encouraged to attend in sports wear and are encouraged to bring along water or have hydration machines within the vicinity of the active areas. The workshops start with a group warm up followed by the division into groups, placement in stations and initiation of programmes. A feedback session may take place immediately after the event during which issues related to the domains being practiced (Physical, Social, Affective, Cognitive) are brought forward. This feedback session can be provided via a powerpoint presentation or an informal way after the event. Participants are encouraged to share their ideas and feelings about the event and are also challenged regarding the benefits of the activities carried out.