Profile Fast Break Basketball Association - Buddy Ball Division 

Our mission is to provide an opportunity for disabled children and young adults to enjoy the game of basketball in a competitive setting, fostering good sportsmanship and steady improvement in basketball skills……and to feel good about themselves! 

The program consists of approximately 13 weeks of two 1 ½ hour sessions each Saturday. We ask our volunteers (PAL’s) to help children with a wide range of physical and mental disabilities. Our goal is to enrich their lives with a positive experience in learning the skills of basketball at a level that is suitable to their respective abilities. The demands on our volunteers during each of these 1 ½ hour sessions are extensive, as the activities are non-stop and the needs of these players can often be challenging to handle. In many cases, our PAL’s serve as mentors (to teach them the rules of the game and what to do on and off the court), protectors (from loose balls or flying elbows), motivators (inspiring them to participate with enthusiasm), and supporters (helping them cope when they are upset). 

The Fast Break Buddy Basketball program is designed to keep the participants into a constant flow of learning about the game of basketball and playing basketball related activities throughout the duration of scheduled events. The goal is to use every minute available to insure that each participant gets the most out of the program. The Fast Break Buddy Basketball program is also geared to satisfying the individual needs of each participant and, as such, we are open to making modifications to the activities and the curriculum to ensure maximum benefit. 

Buddy Basketball will be conducted at East Brunswick Churchill Junior High School on
Saturdays from 9 am to 12:00 pm. Session 1: 9:00 to 10:30 am; Session 2: 10:30 to 12:00 pm, every Saturday, except on holidays or school closings. 

 

1. Manage a 90 minute practice / game session.

2. Session participants are:

   a. Buddies - People with special needs

   b. PALS - People assigned to with work with the Buddies to assist during the session

   c. Session Coordinators / Assistance Coaches - People who provide "supervisory" help to the coaches, PALS and Buddies.

3. Following a set template of activities during the 90 minutes.

4. Sequence of Activities are:

   a. Greetings and Help Pair Up Buddies with Pals

   b. Warmup - General Stretching and Calisthenics

   c. Running of Drills - Basic Skills including dribbling, passing, defense, shooting, and team work...

   d. Running of the Game / Scrimmage - Emphasis on team work, equitable ball / shooting balance i.e., ensure that all players get and make a shot.

   e. Cool Down - Re-emphasis  on a great session, introduction of each player / pal ... 

5. No prior experience is needed with coaching special needs people; however, some basketball coaching experience would be a plus.

6. You must have a desire to help others and you have to be extremely patient and respectful to all.