Above is some video footage of the machine in action as well as comments from basketball coach Serge Froment. – Stephen Dafoe video
by Stephen Dafoe
Morinville – The Morinville Youth Basketball Association unveiled a new tool in its ongoing efforts to make better basketball players Apr. 29, two basketball shooting machines. The machines, complete with built-in basketball hoops and rebounder nets cost approximately $9,400 and were funded in part by sponsorship from Champion Petfoods and in part from the association’s own fundraising efforts.
Morinville Youth Basketball Association Coach Serge Froment believes the new equipment will provide his players and others in the community with extra skill development as well as an increased interest in developing those skills. “The reason that this really helps any basketball player is they’re allowed to take their shot over and over again in perfect form,” Froment said. “They can do that without this machine so really what this machine does, like anything in life, is it adds a little spark.” Froment went on to say both the male and female players who tried the machine are excited to come out to se the new equipment.
Although the wrapping is hardly off the gear, Froment said players are already asking for additional practice time. “They’re asking for extra time to shoot, to just come in and have shooting practices,” the coach said.
The two machines have an electronic control panel that can control strength and speed of the ball being shot back to players, allowing Froment and his fellow coaches to set up a variety of learning opportunities during team practices. “We can set up all sorts of drills and all sorts of games that they do with this,” he said. “There’s a tonne they can do and it’s another thing to create that energy that makes them practice harder and better.”
Above left: Basketball player Sara Pelletier tries out one of the Morinville Youth Basketball Association’s new shooting machines during a practice Apr. 29.
