SlamBall vaults into Shanghai youth sports scene
Print Edition
OFTEN providing a shot of adrenaline on a basketball court is the slam dunk, a trick not many amateur hoopsters have mastered but have certainly dreamed of.
Now comes a sport in which slam dunks can be practiced without superb leaping ability — SlamBall, a form of basketball played on trampolines.
The game originated in Los Angeles and became popular in the US more than a decade ago. It is now making its way to young Chinese sports lovers, with the first professional training court in Asia established in Shanghai.
Located close to several campuses in Minhang District, the training center was built to induce students to make SlamBall known and played in China.
The 900-square-meter indoor training center on Jianchuan Road is built in a warehouse. On the main court, a spring floor lies adjacent to two sets of four trampolines placed in front of each net, with boards around the court edge. The spring beds provide a unique playing surface that allows players to reach inhuman heights off the trampolines and cushions their landing upon returning to the floor.
Four players on each team are allowed on the court at one time, and substitutions are unlimited. Two points are earned when the ball is thrown through the hoop, and three points for a slam dunk. Games are played in four five-minute quarters.
A spectator can really be dazzled by the vertical and horizontal movements of players in action.
“This is a cool basketball game, which I really want to introduce to Chinese sports lovers,” said Sun Zhicheng, CEO of SlamBall China Co Ltd.
Sun told Shanghai Daily that the training center has already reached cooperation with seven student societies in local universities and schools. Society members will receive professional direction from Stan Fletcher, a retired SlamBall player.
A local university league is expected to be staged in October. The company also plans to invite SlamBall teams from the US to play exhibition games for Chinese fans.
Sun said the training center will host a summer camp for students from July 7 to August 2. A thousand students will be invited to experience SlamBall courses for free. Those with promising performance will be gifted with further professional training courses.
Sun said the company plans to build more training centers in cities like Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou. That will create a demand for more SlamBall professional coaches like Fletcher.
Fletcher has been regarded as the Michael Jordan of SlamBall. The 34-year-old has been in Shanghai for three months and has a one-year contract to coach at the center.
Living in an apartment not far from the center, Fletcher rides a scooter to work and take Metro rides to reach other parts of the city. The well-adapted Fletcher cooks for himself and knows what to order when dining in a local restaurants.
Sports is one of the best ways for him to bridge with the locals. Born in Los Angeles, where SlamBall started, Fletcher has a background in sports, sales and marketing.
“It’s a creative sport, and the number of participants has been increasing in China in the past two years,” he said. “I want to help make SlamBall known to more people here.”
Fletcher gives two to four hours of training to students from various universities. He is a celebrity in the SlamBall circle back home, but is not well-known in China.
“That’s a difficult part. Nevertheless, the idea is to promote the sport to the world. To watch the sport expand is like watching a baby grow,” Fletcher said.
“SlamBall is a combination of basketball, trampoline, gymnastics, etc,” he said. “It requires players with good body balance. It’s an art show.”
SlamBall Shanghai Training Center
Address: 646 Jianchuan Rd
Hotline for summer camp: 5109-0980
For more information: www.SlamBall.Asia
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