Basketball Immersion

Pursue your passion, find your path

The Immersion Program is a collaboration between Oval HP (High Performance), Split Second Basketball and local schools that allows dedicated athletes to take their core academic courses in the mornings and do serious training on weekday afternoons at the Oval. 

  • Grow your game

    Train your individual skills, decision making and compete in game situations with Split Second coaches four days a week.

  • Build your body

    Work twice a week with Oval High Performance staff on your strength, speed, agility and quickness.

  • Develop your mind

    With 2 hours of training Monday to Thursday throughout the school year, you will have time to really study and learn the game you love.

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Your afternoon classroom at the Richmond Oval

Your afternoon assignment

We are excited to announce the Basketball Immersion program for players who love the sport and want to enter an immersive training program during school hours throughout the year.

The Basketball Immersion Program is supported by the school district where student-athletes who are on non-rotating blocks can select their core courses in the morning and participate in the Basketball Immersion Program in the afternoon.

In September of 2022 our first cohort of Basketball Immersion began with players participating through Magee (SPARTS), Churchill, Tupper, Prince of Wales and Lord Byng high schools. In the 2023/24 school year, 20 players from a dozen schools participated in BI.

Is this the right program for me?

While these types of school programs have been around for more than 40 years and have been supported by the school district, there are pros and cons to this type of program for a student athlete.

If you are wanting to learn more about this and read some background context to these types of programs please read the article below.

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As a high school counsellor, I can only attest to positive benefits that my students have gained. These students are balancing their academic classes with basketball training during the school day. They are finding exceptional growth because they are engaging in something that they love doing, which is playing basketball. For these teens, having a passion and then working towards a goal is tremendously beneficial and will set them up for future successes in life in general.

Ms. Radic

How to Set Up Your Academic Timetable

 

Eligibility

Players are eligible to participate in Basketball Immersion if they:

  1. Are Student-Athletes in Grade 8-11 (Sept 2023) with good academic achievement and excellent organizational skills to allow them to have success in this program

  2. Have an academic timetable set up to allow their afternoons available for the program (please see below)

  3. Have met the qualification standards below to ensure a worthwhile and quality experience

  4. Apply and are accepted in the Basketball Immersion Program

Magee Secondary School SPARTS Program

For 37 years, SPARTS has successfully allowed students attending Magee Secondary School to complete their core academic ourses in a condensed school day (eg. 8:45-11:30am) so that they are free to pursue their (SPorts or ARTS) passions during the afternoon (eg 12:30-3pm).

SPARTS students typically (but not always) take English, Math, Socials and Science at school and sometimes supplement this with an online course.

If you currently attend Magee Secondary School, you will need to talk to your school counselor. If you are interested in enrolling in the SPARTS program visit their website to learn more about how to enroll.

Public Schools with Non-Rotating Blocks

Recent changes in the school system mean most schools can now arrange student’s schedules to free up their afternoon timetables so that they can participate while still attending their home school.

Because there are no credits for high school graduation until grade 10, students in younger grades will simply not enrol in their electives like PE, Art, Drama, Home Economics. Students in grade 10 plus can receive credits towards graduation through their participation in the Basketball Immersion Program and by taking online courses. If you are interested in this program we encourage you to apply below AND speak with your school counsellor.

Questions

For questions about Basketball Immersion you can see our FAQ at the bottom of the page.

For any other questions please email eric@splitsecondbasketball

 FAQs

 

  • Some students participating in the Basketball Immersion program will be coming from school based programs that give them credit for their participation. A good example of this is the Magee SPARTS program which lines up perfectly with the Immersion schedule.

    If participating students aren’t receiving credit through their home school, we can help them receive credits toward graduation through existing online virtual school programs.

  • Students are typically dismissed from morning classes at 11:35am. Students can take public transportation together to the Oval and allow plenty of time to grab lunch before training starts at 12:45pm. Families can also arrange carpools together which is another good option.

  • Basketball Immersion is a training based program that helps athletes build the skills, strength and mindset to excel on their club and high school teams.

    While the Immersion program will work on many team based and game situations, we will not be forming a team from this group that plays against other clubs/teams.

  • Yes

  • If your school schedule doesn’t free you up for every afternoon session, it may be possible to join on a part time basis. This will need to be determined on a case by case basis. Please contact Eric@splitsecondbasketball.com to discuss.

  • It is possible to only commit to a single semester. This should be discussed with both your school counsellors and Basketball Immersion.

  • No, at this time there is only the option for the afternoon training block. We will make allowance for athletes who need to arrive a bit late to the session.

  • In the 2023-24 school year, we expect to have players from grades 8-11. Players should be at an intermediate to advanced skill (level 2 or 3) and be self motivated and driven to improve their games.

    If you will be in grade 12 for the 2023-24 school year and are interested in the Basketball Immersion program, please contact Eric@splitsecondbasketball.com to discuss if we have any appropriate options.

  • We are looking for athletes who are are able to fullfil their commitments to match the obligations we make to book courts, Oval HP weight room, merchandise, secure coaches and more.

    However, in the circumstances that an athlete absolutely can not continue in the program, families will be billed until the end of the month following receipt of a written withdrawal request.

  • Tuition covers all training for the athlete including their on-court coaching, strength and conditioning and other professional services. Tuition also covers a gear package that each player receives.

    For the 2024/25 school year, families will be charged a *non-refundable $300 deposit/school year upon acceptance and are then billed $450/month from September to January (TERM 1) and February to June (TERM 2).

    *If a player drops out before their first session, half of the deposit can be converted to credit for other Split Second programs

  • Starting in the middle of September the Basketball Immersion program will run Mondays through Thursdays with the exception of statutory and school holidays as observed by the Vancouver School Board. The last training session will be June 13th, 2024.

    Participating athletes will be provided access to an app with all program dates, reminders and a communication platform with their coaches.

My son is enjoying his time at basketball immersion which gives him something to focus on that he is passionate about. Previously in Grade 8 he took some electives in school where it seemed like he was going through the motions(Band), but had Zero interest or passion about, outside of school.

It has taught him lessons in time management, as well as given him a reason to keep his grades up, because being able to pursue basketball during school hours is a privilege.

At times the physical workload has been challenging, but working through some adversity has given him a lesson in work ethic, and the ability to fight through tough times.

Overall, the program has been very good, he is having fun and working hard. The skills he is learning are not only good for basketball, but transferable to other aspects in his life as a young man.

— Parent of a 2022/23 Immersion Player