Pupils from Lampton School are receiving a PE lesson with a difference, when seven-time NBA Champion Robert Horry puts players from its Basketball Academy through their paces.  

Horry who played in the NBA for 16 seasons before his retirement in 2008 will be hosting a basketball masterclass at the school for a group of students currently participating in its Sky Sports Living for Sport project, along with Sky Sports basketball anchor Kevin Cadle.

The free UK secondary schools initiative, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, uses sport stars and sport skills to boost confidence, change behaviours, increase attainment and improve life skills. 

The pupils, who have been selected by their teachers to take part in the project, will hear from Robert about how he broke into the most successful basketball league in the world enjoying a career playing for teams including the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and most recently the San Antonio Spurs.  He is one of only two players to have won NBA Championships with three different teams: twice with the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs and three times with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Affectionately nicknamed ‘Big Shot Rob’ for his ability to score baskets towards the end of games,  Robert will lead a group basketball session with the students, providing them with a rare opportunity to glean some of the skilled power forward’s top tips for success on the court.

Sky Sports Living for Sport is designed to empower students and throughout the session Robert will use the British Athletes Commission’s ‘Six Keys to Success’, which include mental toughness, hunger to achieve, people skills, sports and life knowledge, breaking barriers and planning for success, to help them achieve their own life goals.

Robert Horry comments: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to share my basketball skills with students from Lampton School during this short visit to the UK.  The school has shown fantastic commitment to Sky Sports Living for Sport and to be able to meet UK students who are passionate about sport and raising the popularity of basketball in the country is a real honour.  I hope that by sharing the story of my break into the NBA I can inspire members of Lampton School’s basketball academy to continue to pursue the sport and perhaps follow in my footsteps.”

Alan Keane, PE teacher and director of the Basketball Academy at Lampton School added: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Robert Horry, a true basketball legend to our school.  His visit will undoubtedly give our young people a real life example of how commitment and dedication in sport can change lives while also supporting our wider work through Sky Sports Living for Sport.”

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For further information please contact:
Karoline Peach, Alex Hankinson, Rebecca Taylor or Jessica Beales
Midnight Communications Tel: 01273 666 200 Email: skysportslfs@midnight.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS
For more information about Sky Sports Living for Sport, please visit
www.skysports.com/livingforsport
Find us on twitter @SkySportsLFS
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SkySportsLivingForSport 

About Sky Sports Living for Sport

Sky Sports Living for Sport, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, uses sport stars and sport skills to improve the lives of thousands of young people in secondary schools across the UK. 

Since the initiative launched in 2003, 75,000 young people in over a third of secondary schools across the UK have benefitted by using sport to improve their lives. This year over 1,450 schools have planned Sky Sports Living for Sport projects and there will be up to 3,000 Athlete Mentor visits to schools. The key areas of focus for the initiative are: self-confidence and self-esteem, attitudes to learning, health and wellbeing, and encouraging students to reach their full potential.

Sky Sports Living for Sport has enjoyed remarkable success, with 96 per cent of projects deemed to have been ‘successful’ or ‘very successful’ according to teachers polled in an independent survey by Chrysalis Research during the 2011/12 academic year. The research also revealed that 96% of teachers who set an aim to improve students’ attitudes to learning said this aim was fully or partially achieved and 48% of participating students said they were inspired to go on to mentor a young person following participation.

Sky Sports Living for Sport forms part of what Sky is doing to make a positive impact on society. To find out more about how Sky is seeing the bigger picture: www.sky.com/thebiggerpicture 

The Youth Sport Trust: Sport Changes Lives Our charity is passionate about helping all young people to achieve their full potential by delivering high quality physical education and sport. 

We work to:

• give every child a sporting start in life through high quality PE and sport in primary schools.
• ensure all young people have a sporting chance by developing opportunities for those with special educational needs and disabilities.
• support all young people to achieve their sporting best in school and their personal best in life.
  To find out more visit: www.youthsporttrust.org