See how the Wisła CANPACK Academy helps girls and young women learn valuable skills and improve their health through basketball.
Taking part in sports can have a positive impact on young peoples’ mental, emotional, social and physical health. It’s also a fun way to pick up valuable communication and collaboration skills.
CANPACK is committed to helping girls and young women enjoy these benefits. That’s why it’s sponsoring the Wisła CANPACK Academy, a basketball school based in Krakow, Poland.
The academy helps young women in the local area to develop their basketball skills, improve their health and reach their full potential. It’s open to young women of all ages, from kindergarten to university.
Feeling the benefit of professional coaching
The academy provides the essential equipment that young women need to play. But more importantly, it delivers high-quality coaching and player development.
The academy hosts 20 coaches, which means each girl receives personalised guidance and support. These coaches are supported by a team of sports science experts including dieticians, mental health coaches and motor development specialists.
This comprehensive approach to player development means that participants are given everything they need to progress from being enthusiastic amateurs to become skilled athletes.
Participants are divided into teams based on their age and each team trains together during regular sessions at local facilities. The academy also hosts regular tournaments and competitions so players can put their skills to the test.
Each game can be a learning experience, as one of the coaches explained to us:
“Sports teach young people valuable lessons they may not learn elsewhere, like perseverance and how to cope with failure. Losing players are taught to congratulate the winners with their head held high. It also builds self-confidence. Young people at our academy learn how to be proud of their achievements.”
But the academy isn’t purely about personal development, it’s also about having fun. As one of the participants explained:
“Wisła CANPACK Academy has helped me learn new skills and improve my game, but I’ve also made a lot of new friends. When you play as part of a team you end up building strong connections that can evolve into long-term friendships off-court.”
The current Head Coach of the academy, Dorota Gburczyk-Sikora, was a professional basketball player herself.
“Basketball shaped the course of my life,” she said.
“I discovered a sport that has become a life-long passion and a vocation. I’m proud to pass on what I’ve learned to a new generation of players,” she continued.
Helping 300+ young people per year
Thanks to CANPACK’s funding, the Academy helps over 300 young women every year.
Małgorzata Podrecka, Vice President at CANPACK had this to say:
“We’re extremely pleased with the sporting achievements of the children and youth training at the academy. We realise that this is due to the hard work of the coaches, as well as the determination of the young athletes themselves.”
CANPACK: Committed to improving wellbeing
CANPACK’s sponsorship of Wisła CANPACK Academy is testament to its commitment to promoting physical activity and building healthy habits among young people.
In addition to Wisła CANPACK Academy, CANPACK sponsors two other academies in greater Krakow area, dedicated to hockey and football respectively. Each of these academies serves an additional 300+ young people per year. Further afield, it has supported sports academies in Stribro, in Czechia and Helmond, in the Netherlands.
All of these sponsorships are based on a simple principal—that the development of young talent is essential to a successful society and culture.
Invest in the youth and everyone benefits.
This partnership is just one of the many ways we’re delivering on our commitment to making a difference in society and creating a feeling of belonging in communities across the globe. You can learn more about our efforts here.