Jeddah Youth Basketball League

Global Sports Partners representatives and coaches in Saudi Arabia have delivered excellent training in a wide array of sports over the years. One of the newest additions to GSP’s work in Jeddah is pioneering the Jeddah Youth Basketball League, initiated by GSP Representative and TeamUP Coach, Travis Stark.  

The Jeddah Youth Basketball League is a grassroots basketball league developed for participation by existing academies in Jeddah. The inaugural season included six teams at the U13 level: TeamUP, Cedar Stars, Swish, Era, Armed, and Jeddah United. Coach Stark worked closely with Coach Hamad of Cedar Stars Academy to find referees, secure playing venues, and communicate with the other coaches.  

“The Jeddah Youth U13 Basketball League has proven to be a success by fostering a fun and competitive environment that encourages teamwork, sportsmanship, and a love for the game.  This league provides a valuable outlet for young athletes to develop their skills, build confidence, and create lasting friendships.” – Coach Hamad, Head Coach of Cedar Stars Academy 

 The 2023 season included 60 players from the six participating teams in a group play format followed by semi-final and final championship matches. Teams were divided into two groups of three, playing a double round-robin format (two games versus each team in the group). This regular rhythm of play increased both skill development and the spirit of competition for the young players and their communities.  The 2023 League Championship was won by Cedar Stars Academy.  

“The 2023 Jeddah Youth Basketball League was a groundbreaking success for the overall future and development of grassroots basketball in Jeddah and KSA. There are some challenges to realizing and developing a sustainable, organized youth basketball league, but I believe we took some important steps to accomplishing it.” – Global Sports Partners Representative and TeamUP Coach, Travis Stark

The league context is a lesser-known format for academies in Jeddah. The 2023 league’s birth was the culmination of months initially spent networking and collaborating. Based on the success of this collaboration, Stark intends to see a second season of the league in 2024. The league aims to add new age groups and girls’ groups, as well as to spark the development of other leagues in the future. 

13th African Games in Ghana

Ghana recently hosted the 13th African Games in Accra, the nation’s capital. Global Sports Partners International President, Dennis Chamberlain, attended the Games along with GSP Director of Business Development, Justin Rhodes, and North Africa Regional Project Manager, Marc Neie. 

“Being graciously hosted by the Ghanaian delegation, our GSP staff was privileged to attend the African Games in Accra. While there, we were able to meet with members of various National Olympic Committees and sports federations, as well as coaches and athletes, to learn about their needs and how we as a company can help them achieve their goals.”  

—Global Sports Partners Regional Project Manager, Marc Neie.  

The Global Sports Partners delegation enjoyed watching the high-level competition and holding meetings with officials from across the continent. They are grateful for the hospitality of Ghana Baseball and Softball Federation President Ernest Fiifi Danso and and Vice President Edmund Kwesi Ackom.  

It was a privilege for GSP’s International President to meet officials from the Namibia National Olympic Committee, the Chadian Olympic and Sports Committee, the African Handball Confederation, and the Benin men’s national handball team. 

“In each one of my conversations with sport leaders, I sensed a shared commitment to raising the level of sport in their countries. They also are concerned about providing more opportunities in sport for their people. These are important priorities for GSP as we strive to Improve Performance, Increase Participation, and Inspire Purpose through all of our programs and trainings.” 

—Global Sports Partners International President, Dennis Chamberlain 

Congratulations to the hosts and to the African Games Coordination Commission and the Local Organizing Committee Ghana on a successful event with two weeks of competition, bringing together 5000+ elite athletes and 55 African countries in 29 sports. 

Tunis Turkey Bowl

In 2023, flag football attracted attention on the global stage with the announcement of its inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. Global Sports Partners Tunisia responded to the excitement with the first annual Turkey Bowl in Tunis. The Turkey Bowl was a great day of competition, introduction to the sport of flag football, and family fun, all organized around the American holiday, Thanksgiving.  

The 140 participants in the Turkey Bowl were distributed among three age groups, with varying levels: eight teams in the adult category, four teams in the age 12-17 category, and three teams in the age 9-11 category. The winning teams in each category took home first place medals and a team picture with the golden football. 

Among the participants were 45 Tunisians who had never played the game before. Each team had the opportunity to play four games throughout the day, building skills and accumulating experience. GSP Tunis coaches led the youth teams from the Tunis area. Two other youth teams traveled in from a city in the south to participate in the Turkey Bowl.  

“It was exciting to see so many new players coming out to play, along with bringing together the community of so many friends and families. It was a great way to see the interest level in the sport grow for the future of GSP in Tunisia.” – Global Sports Partners Coach, Emily Evans.  

Off the field, the community came together in a beautiful way, as the teams were supported by more than 100 spectators. A concessions fundraiser was set up for a local school and another local vendor came in to sell sandwiches.

Global Sports Partners Tunis looks forward to seeing growth of flag football as they plan toward the 2024 edition of the Turkey Bowl and other events leading up to the 2028 Summer Olympics.  

Baseball Training in Mauritania

In October, Global Sports Partners (GSP) Baseball Experts partnered with the Association Mauritania Baseball and Softball (AMBS) to implement a twofold training on Baseball and Transformational Coaching. The five-day event included sessions focused on both coaching and playing with the goal of developing baseball in Mauritania.  

“This project was a great experience for the youth and coaches that participated. All participants showed great enthusiasm about learning this unfamiliar sport and, even better, they learned how they can apply many of the concepts GSP emphasizes—teamwork, overcoming adversity, and fair play—both on the field and in life.” – GSP Director of Business Development, Justin Rhodes.

The GSP experts were able to build on developing Baseball interest in the country in recent years. Over five days in Nouakchott, the Mauritanian coaches participated in morning classroom sessions with instruction on Transformational Coaching and an Introduction to Baseball. In the evenings, 100 children, new to the sport, participated in 90-minute player training to learn the fundamentals of baseball.  

The week concluded with a combined session to implement the Coaches Training and the Player Training. After an exciting day of baseball, 22 coaches and 100 children received certificates for successfully completing the training program. The week produced great enthusiasm for baseball among the community. Players, coaches, and GSP experts alike anticipate the next baseball event in Mauritania in 2024.  

GSP Türkiye Coach at Çosa Summer Camp

GSP Türkiye Representative and Basketball Expert, Bryan Spears, has jumped into basketball camps for the past three summers. For the summer of 2023, Spears partnered with Çosa, a youth sports club for a summer camp with a multifaceted focus. Çosa operated a sport-focused day camp for 90 children that engaged their minds and bodies in three different three-week terms. The holistic camps were a great success and addition to Spears’ coaching experience.  

Spears participated as a native English speaker engaging kids in creative ways, including basketball. There were 7-10 other coaches doing various sports activities that engaged the body and mind of the students. Spears’ primary responsibility was to help students grow in English proficiency.   

"To coach someone is to support them, encourage them, and give them tools not just to succeed in sport, but to succeed in life. Teaching English in this type of sports day camp environment has given me a different perspective of how I can support my players to grow and improve, even in their language, which will hopefully give them more opportunities in life." – Bryan Spears  

The students showed increasing excitement and confidence in their spoken English. Throughout the three-week terms, more students would approach Spears during the break time to practice their English and engage in longer conversations. Some of the children were very hesitant to practice English at the beginning of the term but continued to listen well and showed progress by the end.  

One of the popular games that Spears used involved four students. The students were asked a question, then raced to grab an American football which gave the one with the football the opportunity to provide a correct answer in English.  Each time students played, they were more engaged in the game and the quieter students showed progress in confidence to win the race and answer the questions.

Spears plans to continue incorporating English into his sport programs to help players build more for their future as they share a love for and dedication to basketball.  

Tunis Summer Camp

GSP Tunis continues to provide excellent year-round programming. In 2023, this included four weeks of fun, structured summer camp. In June, the camp season kicked off with a week of baseball. The team worked alongside Tunisian coaches to teach specific skills, while also teaching the kids (ages 4-14) how to play with a high level of character.

Weeks two and three were a multi-disciplinary camp. Participants had the opportunity to engage with different disciplines such as sport, art, swimming, music, technology, etc. while the sections are taught by Tunisian teachers and coaches.

“It was a highlight to see everything come together to provide an excellent experience for campers and families, there were so many smiling and happy faces throughout camp.”– James Max Miller, GSP Tunis Representative.

“Another highlight was working alongside the Tunisian coaches and teachers. I saw their gifts and abilities at work every day. For the multi-discipline camp, we had a staff of about 30 Tunisian coaches. All of them had different giftings and abilities that they used during camp,“ Miller said.

A group of American interns came to support the team in putting on a well-rounded camp experience. One of the visiting interns unfortunately hurt his leg during camp. This experience gave the staff an opportunity to practice adaptability and modify what roles would serve everyone best. Another staff member stepped into his swimming instruction role without hesitation and did a fantastic job!

The final week of camp focused on basketball. Though the temperatures were high, the team’s spirits were higher! “Our hope in these camps is that the players not only walk away with high quality training, but also lessons that they can apply in all areas of their lives. We don’t determine our success at camp by what we receive as GSP reps, but what the campers (and staff) can walk away with and apply to the rest of their lives” – Miller said.

GSP Tunis continues to provide stellar programming and you can look forward to some new sports being highlighted from the Fall season!

Coaches Training in Jeddah

Over the past year, GSP Reps in Saudi Arabia have worked alongside local partner organization, Team Up, and the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah to coordinate and implement a grant project.  The “West Saudi Youth Sport Empowerment Initiative” focused on empowerment, leadership training, and the holistic development of Saudi youth and coaches. Through three separate phases, young male and female coaches participated in GSP’s Transformational Coaching workshop and received Level 1 Certification.  

The first phase took place over two weekends in February with local male participants from diverse sport backgrounds. The success of the first phase made way for a unique co-ed training and youth camp for Phase II. The inclusive nature of Phase II generated great interest and a positive atmosphere to learn from one another. Diversity and inclusion became core values for the group. In June, the all-female Phase III exhibited the highest level of interest and saw ten women receive their Level 1 certificates.  

“We had a great time working with coaches who are all very passionate about their sports. It was exciting to see them learn to see their players in a more holistic way and to put into practice coaching strategies that incorporated character values.” - Rebecca Pack, GSP Representative

American GSP experts were brought in to partner with local reps in the young coaches’ development and introduce new sports including kickball, ultimate frisbee, and pickleball. Each phase included engaging classroom sessions as well as a multi-sport youth camp for coaches to apply their new values and skills. The multi-sport camp split the youth into four teams to learn new sports and practice core values they were being taught. Points could be earned both for athletic excellence and exhibiting good character throughout the camp. 

“This program was better than I expected. The training course was different from other training courses in the field of training and sports that focus on the theoretical side only and give theoretical information without a soul, but this course gave me methods to become a different trainee and how to interact with the trainees more as a human being, from giving them information and exercise only.” – Phase II Participant

GSP Reps in Jeddah look forward to seeing the developing coaches apply their skills in various sport fields and perhaps participate in future Level 2 workshops!

GSP Malaysia Leads Ultimate Clinic for Teachers

GSP Malaysia continues to provide leadership for Ultimate Frisbee clinics in partnership with the Malaysian Ministry of Education. In June, the departments of Sport, Co-Curriculum and the Arts sent teachers from each state to learn the basics of Ultimate in a train-the-trainers workshop.

The participating teachers arrived with varying experience levels and all departed with knowledge of the basics. Each of these teachers now returns to their respective states to train other teachers and students in the basics of Ultimate.

“I feel this workshop builds on the progress that was made last year. The Ministry of Education is committed to growing the sport of Ultimate as a sport for all under their 1 Student, 1 Sport program.” –Derrick Wilkerson, GSP Representative and Ultimate Trainer

The training used MyDisc Malaysia’s certified “MyDisc 3.0”, which will be the official disc for upcoming state-specific clinics. Learn more about MyDisc’s products on their website.

New and returning participants are together becoming quick ambassadors for the sport in Malaysia. “Frisbee is not only a sport, but Spirit of the Game. Nothing can beat the spirit of Frisbee’s game.” Mr. Pang, returning clinic participant

New Baseball Stadium in Pakistan

GSP Representatives in Pakistan are pleased to introduce the Steve DeVoss Baseball Stadium in Lahore.

”The Steve DeVoss Stadium will be used to further the development and growth of local Pakistanis in their knowledge of the game I love. Through local, national, and international competitions, I hope to be able to use this field as ground zero for expanding the baseball program in South Asia, raising up leaders to make a change.” –Brian Furches, GSP Representative and Baseball Coach

The team broke ground in October 2022 and began playing on the field in July 2023. GSP Pakistan Representatives will host a four-day baseball training for the stadium’s scheduled completion in March 2024. The training will be offered for men and women, including local and international athletes, with a tournament style competition at the end of the training.

GSP Welcomes Stadio Football Academy

Stadio Football Academy (SFA) is GSP’s newest initiative in South Asia. We are happy to see Stadio bring excellent coaching and training to the football community in Mumbai.

The SFA team is passionate about providing world-class football trainings to develop young players that understand and play the game to their highest potential.  “We provide comprehensive trainings that aim not only to develop skills in football but also in life, to grow as athletes and human beings.” – GSP Rep and SFA Director, Joel Ballejos

SFA is an official Argentinos Juniors Training Center. Argentinos Juniors provides excellent athlete development all over the world, with over 80 training and scouting academies in Argentina, all over South America, Italy and now in Asia.  

In the inaugural season of training at SFA, participation and morale are exceeding expectations.  “I never enjoyed coaching kids as much as I did with Stadio. We believe this is because of the culture we are creating in the organization, a culture of positivity and excellence. Kids are kids everywhere but the way we teach them and the atmosphere inside the organization helps us to be better coaches.” – Stadio Football Coach Adhit

In August, SFA will host an internal tournament in partnership with the Mumbai Argentine Consulate. Follow the tournament and new developments at the academy on their Instagram.

GSP Saudi Arabia Football Intern

We join Global Sports Partners Intern Lianna Gates in celebrating a successful football-focused internship with GSP Saudi Arabia. Gates is an asset to the GSP team both on and off the pitch.  

At Team Up for Sports (Jeddah, KSA), Lianna’s coaching skills were used to facilitate trainings for the 5–10-year-old age group over the past year. She coached alongside of Academy Director and GSP Representative, Travis Stark, as well as other new coaches looking to develop their talents. From skills training to fun gifts from the athletes, Gates returns to her home country with a new appreciation for coaching young athletes.

“This past year of coaching has motivated me to gather more resources and further my education in the field so that I continue to grow as a coach and facilitate players’ growth” – GSP & Team Up Intern Lianna Gates

Lianna also trained this season with Al-Shabab Women’s Football Club in Jeddah (formerly known as the Storm). Al-Shabab WFC participated in the Inaugural season of the Saudi Women’s Premier League, finishing in 3rd place. Gates enjoyed contributing her experience playing university football in the USA as well as learning to play with ladies in KSA’s growing atmosphere of women’s sport.

“It was a privilege and I learned so much from the experience of playing football with the women on my team in Jeddah. Some of my favorite memories were funny language exchanges in my broken Arabic and our intrasquad scrimmages where we pushed each other to become better footballers.” – Lianna Gates

Lianna is looking forward to rejoining the GSP team in Jeddah later this year and and contributing to the development of young athletes and coaches over the coming years. 

GSP Malaysia Continues to Grow

GSP Malaysia continues to grow and increase interest in the sport of ultimate frisbee. Local GSP Representatives are seeing momentum through leading clinics, training teachers, and providing booths at special sport events.

In October, GSP Malaysia was privileged to promote ultimate frisbee with the Ministry of Education at the National Sports Day event. The team connected with newly interested students and teachers over the sport. The booth also sold over 100 of GSP’s original discs with MyDisc Malaysia.

“The National Sports Day was a great time for connecting, networking, and sharing a love for ultimate. We look forward to continuing many of these exciting connections and sharing the Spirit of the Game across Malaysia and beyond.” – GSP Malaysia General Manager, Nathan Scott

GSP Malaysia provides professional training through ultimate-specific clinics both virtually and in-person. Though the virtual clinics began in response to the challenges of 2020, they have been a key addition to the professional services provided by the team. The clinics have sparked positive interest as demand and opportunity grow.

The GSP team is excited to see momentum building among other experts and athletes in the local ultimate frisbee community. In the new year, the GSP team will focus on developing new partnerships, additional clinics, and training more experts to contribute to the growth of ultimate frisbee in Malaysia.

GSP Rep Wins 1st Place in Crossfit Competition

GSP Representative, Rebecca Pack, recently competed in the annual Elfit Crossfit Championship in Cairo, Egypt. Pack won first place in her group.

“It was a great weekend - not because of the outcome or the workouts, but because I got to meet and participate with some amazing people!” - GSP Representative Rebecca Pack. Congratulations to Rebecca and the Crossfit community on a great event!

Pack is a GSP Representative coaching and facilitating projects in Jeddah, KSA. GSP Saudi Arabia recognizes the value of the Crossfit community locally and the ground it provides to meet and compete alongside of traditional sport.

Special thanks to Elfit Crossfit for the photos.

GSP attends the 2022 Mediterranean Games

GSP International President Dennis Chamberlain attended the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran, Algeria. The President was accompanied by GSP Project Coordinator for Algeria, Libya and Tunisia, Marc Neie.

“Our GSP Staff was privileged to observe so many athletes and coaches representing their countries with passion and honor,” said GSP International President Dennis Chamberlain. “The conversations that our GSP Staff held with NOC and Federation leaders open up doors for future projects and programs.”

GSP Staff enjoyed meetings and observing the high level of sportsmanship and athleticism shown throughout the events. GSP looks forward to working alongside the clients to develop sport and help achieve their goals.

Special thanks to Algeria 3x3 and Jeux Méditerranéens Oran 2022 for the photos.

GSP Oman Lifeguard Trainings

GSP Oman provides crucial water safety and lifeguard certification training in and around the capital city, Muscat. Offered year-round through a partnership with the American Red Cross, these courses certify participants in life-saving skills for two years. GSP Oman Representative, Michael Mitchell, offers the four-day training events often to lifeguards from local beaches, schools, hotels, and private venues.

“At the beginning of a training, I usually hear the same comments from participants. They are nervous about ‘what happens if this particular water emergency happens on my watch? Will I make the right decision?”. By the end of the course, the participants are tailoring their own Emergency Action Plans (EAP) to the possible emergencies of their own location. They begin creating their own scenarios and testing and timing their reaction times. They almost always say they feel much more confident after our lifeguarding course. One lifeguard said, “Now that I completed the course, I feel way more confidence that I will make the right decisions in the event of an emergency scenario." – GSP Oman Lifeguard Instructor, Michael Mitchell

The trainings were initially brought to Oman as local schools saw a need for training and employed former GSP representative, Butch Pierce, in providing the course. Through Pierce and Mitchell’s trainings, they have worked with lifeguards from 20+ countries! The combination of cultures provides a rich learning environment as one local participant commented “You genuinely care about every individual. You made sure everyone understood the material. You had no problem with repeating things. I found it difficult to understand some words but you explained them to me clearly. Overall I gained excellent information, it was easy to understand, and you provided relatable examples to help us comprehend the information.” – Yahia, Omani Lifeguard & Course Participant

GSP exists to transform lives through sport. We are thrilled to see how the partnership of this certification supports excellence in sport and the transforming of lives as lifeguards gain skills and confidence. Mitchell and the team enjoy getting to know the participants and seeing them develop the confidence they need to rescue someone from a life-threatening situation. GSP continues to develop professional trainings that support traditional sport endeavors in Oman and elsewhere.

GSP Türkiye Basketball Coach

GSP Türkiye Representative, Bryan Spears, is celebrating a productive year of coaching with the team at SB Sportif Tofaş Basketbol Okullar in Izmir. The academy has 65 players over 4 different age groups as well as year-round programming that continues through the Summer. Bryan has the ongoing privilege of seeing young athletes develop at Izmir Tofaş since first partnering with the academy 3 years ago.  

Coach Bryan sees young athletes grow in skills at practice and in life experience outside the gym as players join the club from various circumstances. “I can think of one player who came to us in a bit of an unhealthy situation who has really grown in his conditioning, skills, and confidence in interactions with the other players.” Coach Bryan has assisted his players in seeking holistic improvement through the sport of basketball.  

“Coaching allows me to weekly invest in the next generation of Turkish athletes. The environment of the academy at a local private school connects me to an excellent community of teachers and parents who are also deeply invested in the development of these kids.” – Bryan Spears, GSP Turkey Representative 

Player development is possible through consistent practice over time. Resuming regular scheduling post-covid has produced visible benefits as Coach Bryan has invested in the players for a full season. It is a team effort. Coach Bryan works alongside an excellent team with Koç Selçuk Bilgiç, Koç Doğuş Bilgiç, and Koç Kamilcan Inan. GSP Türkiye looks forward to seeing these athletes continue to develop and succeed!  

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GSP Tunis Winter Basketball

This past winter, the GSP Tunis Basketball Program had a successful season of training participants for life, both on and off the court. Sessions focused on the physical and mental development of youth athletes to grow their interest in basketball alongside of new skills.

The program was initially planned for a 7-week run, which successfully saw 86 participants grow in their skills.  The success and excitement of those 7 weeks prompted the GSP Tunis staff to extend the season an additional 10 weeks. This group of young athletes is coached by the GSP Tunis full-time staff as well as an invaluable team of 7 local coaches.

“The success of the program was evident in how many parents were asking us to continue after the initial 7 weeks. We often hear how pleased they are with the organization, the fun atmosphere, and the character-building elements of the program. We believe these elements bring the participants back and encourage them to tell their friends.” – GSP Tunis Representative, Jared Morgan

The staff was encouraged by positive improvements in the skills of the players. Noticeable progress came from drills focusing on shooting and spacing. The GSP Tunis team looks forward to building on these skills as well as seeing young athletes enjoy the game of basketball in future camps and programs. Summer Basketball Camp kicks off on Monday in Tunis and the GSP team looks forward to seeing many familiar faces!

New GSP Initiative in Morocco

GSP has launched a new initiative in Morocco! Over the past year, GSP Representative Austin Simpson has been laying the groundwork to start Momentum Sports. Built on the core message of “Train, Experience, Belong”, Momentum Sports will provide several exciting opportunities. Both Moroccan and international clients can look forward to First Aid Training, Adventure Runs, and Team Building activities. Keep an eye out for new developments in Morocco!

“El Jadida is the perfect place for sport development with a lot of potential. It is a very active city that is growing quickly. It’s been a great experience working with new local friends and business affiliates to get Momentum Sports off the ground. Great things lay ahead for Momentum Sports and Global Sports Partners in El Jadida and in Morocco.” - Austin Simpson, Momentum Sports

Team Up Basketball Academy

GSP Representative Travis Stark and Team Up KSA are celebrating the first anniversary of Team Up Basketball Academy. Over the past ten years, GSP has partnered and celebrated milestones with Team Up.

“The highlight of the academy for me is that coaching doesn't feel like work, but rather a chance to invest and impact kids through the vehicle of sports. I love seeing the joy and determination of kids learning and competing in a sports environment.” – Travis Stark, GSP Representative & Team Up Academy Director

The successful premiere season has been full of growth. The Basketball Academy developed two teams for boys and girls, ages 6-13, with 30 total players. Parents have witnessed growth as well, noting the positive development in their children both on and off the court.  

“I have heard from several parents that their kids are eager to get to the court early for practice since they love basketball and enjoy practicing by themselves. Learning a sport should be fun!” – Travis Stark, GSP Representative

The Football Academy continues to grow, as well. As the Academy Director, Travis coaches alongside two Team Up assistants, including GSP Intern Lianna Gates. Lianna has brought new energy to the football academy, while also playing for a local women’s football club.  

Lianna’s club recently played an exhibition match against the U13 boys she helps coach at Team Up. “It has been cool to see some of the boys have a mentality shift in regards to women playing football since I started working with the team. After losing the match against the women's team, one of the players came up and told me how well we played. Seeing young boys learn life lessons through football has been an honor for me and I am hoping to see some young girls out there, too, in the coming months!" – GSP Intern & Team Up Coach, Lianna Gates  

Training sessions focus on excellence in the young athletes’ lives both on and off the pitch. Each training session begins by going over the coach’s rules and discussing a specific word for the week. That word is specifically chosen for personal improvement and character growth. Many of the kids especially love this part of practice.  

As Team Up looks to the future, it is seeking a larger venue to conduct more sports programs and academy focuses. GSP looks forward to continuing its partnership with Team Up academies as they foster the personal and physical growth of young athletes.   

GSP Malaysia Leads Ultimate Training for Ministry of Education

GSP Malaysia taught the sport of ultimate frisbee to teachers and Ministry of Education officers recently as part of an effort to strengthen the partnership between the two groups. In addition, they aided in the creation of a Training for Trainers module for all secondary schools in Malaysia.

Some program highlights include the translation of rules and ultimate guidelines into the local language, Bahasa Malaysia; and the plan for State education departments to host clinics that increase participation among school students throughout Malaysia.

A success story is highlighted by the experience of participating officers from the ministry. The ministry team was enthusiastic and loved the sport, but they had never competed in a real game. They decided to join a tournament, losing the first game … and by a wide margin, too. Even though the loss could have been devastating to some, the opponent exemplified the Spirit of the Game, which is a defining characteristic of Ultimate. They offered advice to the ministry team to understand how to improve, promoting sportsmanship and collaboration. In response to this impacting example, the officers’ team finished third place at the tournament.

GSP Malaysia Regional Catalyst, Derrick Wilkerson, was excited to see how this impact was immediately made, “It is great to see how the Spirit of the Game sets ultimate apart from other sports. We all learned from the training, but it is our team at GSP that will take much more back with us by watching the participants engage with the game of Ultimate and embrace the overwhelming benefits.”

This is a continuation of ongoing training with all 16 states and territories of Malaysia represented at the workshop, over 40 total participants, while ten of those were previously trained by the GSP team. This continuation will go a long way to establish lasting roots of ultimate in Malaysia.

Wilkerson said, “We are very excited about what the future holds, and the partnership is strong with the Ministry. It is important for us to continue moving forward and get more opportunities out there for students around the country.”

Upcoming work could possibly include more collaboration as The Ministry of Education desires to host a similar workshop in 2023 to assess the development of the sport in secondary schools around the country.