“Improving skill, strategic thinking, ball handling and co-ordination in a fun and encouraging environment are the hallmarks of Spartans’ vision and values.”
Wayne Martin, Founder & Managing Director of Spartans Basketball Academy.
MSG Tours are thrilled to be hosting our first international basketball camp in conjunction with Spartans Basketball Academy of the United Kingdom and SportCamp in Greece.
EXPERIENCE
At MSG our motto is Delivering the Unexpected and this is certainly a first. We wanted to work with our friends at Spartans to allow budding basketballers to come together and experience top level coaching, culture and competition.
TRAIN
The camp will combine coaching from the Spartans Basketball Academy alongside sessions with The National Basketball Academy coaches, a full day tournament, live pro basketball and a chance to delve into the heart of Greek history in Athens. Camps will be available for age groups ranging from U12s through to U16s but please don’t hesitate to contact us if your team falls outside of these age ranges.
COMPETE
Tournament day will be a chance for all to showcase their newly acquired skills, competing against teams of a similar age throughout the morning and afternoon before coming together to look back on a great day of basketball. Care will be taken to match age groups and abilities in order to provide the most competitive and evenly matches fixtures possible.
DEVELOP
It’s an opportunity like no other to grow your young charges as people and as players. Led by Wayne Martin, the founder of Spartans Basketball Academy, you’re in safe hands. A qualified teacher, Wayne is also athletics and basketball coach for club and school teams from U10s to U19s. His coaching lead to teams reaching the last eight of the National Championships with players also reaching County and Regional standards.
He has led successful basketball tours of the US, Italy, Spain and Canada. As a former Senior GB 400m Track & Field athlete with a vast experience and knowledge of training and competing at the highest level, Wayne aims to pass on this knowledge and experience on to children through the medium of basketball.
When is it?
The camp will run from the 20th – 24th October 2019 and plans are provisionally in place for October 2020. It is important you register your interest quickly if looking to book for 2019 to avoid disappointment. If looking to book for next year, just let us know and we can keep you updated with any developments.
Where is the camp?
Greece, a land of history, Hercules, Plato and, of course, feta cheese. But Greece is also a haven for basketball. Boasting some of Europe’s most successful clubs in Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and AEK Athens, the capital is the perfect place to start your basketball tour.
You’ll get to sample this historic city along with its abundance of top-level pro clubs before making your way to your base for the week, Loutraki. You’ll be staying at SportCamp, a purpose-built facility that lies 5km away from the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games. It also served as an important base during the 2004 Olympics.
SportCamp Loutraki boasts numerous on-site facilities perfect for basketball training but not limited to that alone. Facilities include: multiple 3G football pitches, 6 beach volleyball courts, a 7-a-side grass pitch, 3 tennis courts, 3 outdoor basketball courts, a 25m heated pool, an indoor hall, gym and squash court.
SportCamp accommodates the young athletes in a warm and cosy environment. It offers the perfect surroundings to enhance team spirit, hard-work, commitment, morale and – most importantly – fun.
What’s in it for my players?
The beauty of this camp is it is designed for everyone. We want to encourage a real mix of players from a wide range of backgrounds. For us, the more diverse the mix, the more everyone will take from this experience.
So whether you’re an international school group, a club team or an independent school looking for an affordable way to run your basketball trip, this is the perfect way to make it happen.
Expand the menus below for a full itinerary and list of inclusions
Morning: Depart London Gatwick at 05:45am, arriving into Athens at 11:20am (local time). Get straight into the swing of things with lunch in the city.
Afternoon: Once you’re nice and full, you and your team mates will make your way to watch some top level, live basketball. This could be either Olympiacos, Panathinaikos or AEK Athens depending on who is at home this Sunday. Then it’s back on board the coach to your accommodation to check in, have dinner and get an early night.
Monday 21st October
Morning: Wake up ready to follow in the pro’s footsteps with a big breakfast at the accommodation. Once you’ve fuelled like a winner, it’s time train like one. Meet your Spartans coaches for a morning training session with your team mates. After 2 hours of training you’ll be able to head back to the rooms, freshen up then meet back for a group lunch.
Afternoon: Time for a break from basketball with a volleyball tournament and time to relax. Make use of the on site facilities by seeing who has the best hand eye coordination and who can throw themselves furthest on the sand based courts! Don’t burn yourself out at volleyball as in the evening you’ll need to step it up a notch as you complete a training session with TNBA (The National Basketball Academy) coaches. The TNBA is a professional basketball training organisation who will put you through your paces and see what you’re made of!
Group dinner at the accommodation before bed.
Tuesday 22nd October
Morning: You know the routine by now! You’ll be up bright and early for breakfast before making your way to the training courts. Complete a session with your Spartans coaches before freshening up and heading for a nutritious lunch.
Afternoon: We don’t want you basketball-ed out so give your hands a rest with a 5 a side football tournament on the purpose built pitches. Dinner will be followed by your pre tournament briefing as you start gearing up for the main event tomorrow.
After dinner all gather for some games designed to bring you and your team together and have you working as a well oiled unit for the big day!
Wednesday 23rd October
Morning: Breakfast as normal followed by a light training session ahead of today’s tournament. Get together at lunch for last minute team talks and rousing speeches.
Afternoon: After lunch the big event will commence and you’ll spend the afternoon pitting yourselves against the other teams to see if you can make your way to the grand final! Once the tournament is finished, share a group dinner together and look back on an amazing week of basketball.
Thursday 24th October
Morning: Breakfast at the hotel before checking out and departing for Athens. In the morning pay a visit to The Panathenaic Stadium, home of the first Olympic Games and the only stadium in the world built entirely of Marble before making your way to Acropolis where you can see the Parthenon and enjoy amazing views back over Athens.
Afternoon: Enjoy time to explore the city centre, shop for souvenirs and have some well earned down time with your team mates.
Dinner in Athens before transferring to the airport for your return flight home at 21:05, arriving into London Gatwick at 22:55.
- Return flights from London Gatwick to Athens
- 1 x hold baggage, 1 x carry on bag
- Airport transfers to and from Athens
- 4 x nights’ full board accommodation
- Tickets to live basketball in Athens
- Training session with official TNBA (The National Basketball Academy) coaches.
- Full day’s sightseeing in Athens
- Use of on site facilities for team sports including beach volleyball and 5 a side football
- Tournament format, competitive basketball fixtures
- Kit
- Travel Insurance
- UK airport transfers
What’s in it for me?
We understand that as coaches, you are the unsung heroes; intrepid volunteers who give up your time to pass on your passion to your players.
We work on a ratio of 1 chaperone place to every 10 players, or 2 chaperone places to every 15 players. We recognise that time is valuable and your presence will allow a great bridge between Spartans’ staff and your team.
The trip will allow you to learn from fellow coaches, bond with your team in evenings and make use of the various facilities in your downtime.
By offering you a chaperone place on this trip, we hope it relieves the financial burden and allows you to focus on getting the most out of this opportunity for your team.
Why book with MSG?
At MSG we’re always looking to do things a little bit differently. Taking teams on tour is not easy and due to small squad sizes, it can often be a touch on the pricey side to take your basketball team to foreign shores.
So alongside Wayne Martin, the founder and managing director of Spartans Basketball Academy, we set about putting this right.
Our aim was simple; combine our knowledge and love of all things travel and sport with Spartans’ top-level coaching and ethos. Bring those two elements together and give them a home in a touring haven like SportCamp and you have a recipe for success.
So why should you take your team to Athens this October? We’ll let Spartans’ Founder. Wayne Martin, elaborate on the philosophies that inform his work with the Academy.
“Spartans Basketball Academy creates fun, active and constructive coaching sessions that focus on player development, having fun, making new friends and reaching their true potential.
Having an 11-year-old son who loves basketball, I wanted to create a club where my son would not only thrive from the social and confidence boosting effects a team sport offers, but where he would also receive specific and constructive coaching to make him a better player. Improving skill, strategic thinking, ball handling and co-ordination in a fun and encouraging environment are the hallmarks of Spartans’ vision and values.”
To book your team a place at the camp, just fill out the contact form and we’ll be in touch to help you plan the perfect tour for your basketball team
Other Basketball Destinations
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To find out more, call us on 03333 110335 or email info@msgtours.com
Our Recommendations
Get in touch with us to chat about how Greece would make the perfect destination for your next school basketball trip or basketball team tour.
Find out where previous groups travelled to on their previous sports tours:
Helsby High School: Netball and Girls’ Football Tour to Dubai & Abu Dhabi
Dinnington High School: Multi-Sports Tour to Canada and the USA
Spartans Basketball Academy travel to Canada!
View other past basketball tours here.