The agreement was signed by the LBF President Vydas Gedvilas and Klaipėda University Rector prof. Artūras Razbadauskas in front of an audience of thousands of basketball fans.
By the agreement, the partners of the study programme implementation – the LBF and the PE International Basketball University – undertook to take an active part in the development of the content of the Basketball specialism of the Leisure Sports bachelor's programme, to transfer the latest technologies and practices of the world's basketball specialists training into it, to advise the University's specialists, to share their knowledge with the students, and to contribute to the organisation of student practices.
"We welcome this partnership and see the significant benefits it will bring to society. Basketball is very important for Lithuania, and it starts with training young athletes and nurturing talent. If not only enthusiasts but also coaches with a solid foundation in the sport come to work here, we can expect to see more young people becoming interested in basketball and more victories in sports arenas," said the KU Rector.
The Leisure Sports study programme with its basketball specialism is to start in September this year, with enrollment scheduled to begin on 1 June. In addition to the general courses necessary for the qualification of a sports coach, young people who choose the study programme will study the technologies of training young and advanced basketball players, aspects of basketball players' movement management, training and coaching, psychological factors of training organisation, etc.
"We have arenas full of so-called "basketball specialists" in Lithuania, but our and our partners' goal is to train highly qualified children's basketball coaches, who are in short supply on the market, and the existing ones often lack knowledge of the latest educational technologies and the psychological specificities of working with children. We will strive to fill this niche with high-quality content," said prof. Asta Šarkauskienė, head of the Department of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism at the Faculty of Health Sciences of KU.
The Leisure Sports programme is the only bachelor's degree programme in Lithuania where students graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Sports and a professional qualification of a teacher. The studies last 4 years. Graduates are welcome in sports schools, clubs, and institutions of active leisure organisation.
