Taga Hoops program draws about 30 participants 

The debut of the Taga Hoops program under the Kultura Basketball Academy drew close to 30 participants last Saturday at the Agape Gymnasium. 

The basketball program caters to the youth aged 6-12 under the coaching of academy instructor and longtime national basketball coach and development officer Elias Rangamar. 

Kina Rangamar, manager of the academy, said that the younger participants focused on the basics of basketball, while the older group focused on skill building, movement, and coordination.

She said that as Elias Rangamar’s daughter, she was fortunate enough to be taught under him. Now, with her dad’s program, she said the participants “are able to go through with the opportunity and sort of start in the grassroots program and get basketball growing again. It’s important that they try it out and just have fun to gain that passion like I did.”

Lia Rangamar, assistant coach in the academy, said that with the program, “we hope to get more kids to fall in love with basketball because this is a prime age for them.”

Of course, with coaching children, she said there are challenges. “I think like any educator, it’s about management and always trying to figure out and adapt on the spot. What’s the best way to keep the kids engaged? So that’s something that’s always the hard part about it.” 

She added, “It’s trying to let them have fun—what are different things in drills that we can switch out so that they’re constantly having fun and not just standing around waiting?”

The program is every Saturday starting last Saturday until Nov. 25, 2023. 

The program is divided into two time slots and two age groups: 6- to 9-year-olds are from 9am to 10:15am, while 10- to 12-year-olds are from 10:30am to 12pm.

The fee for the program is $45 per month.