Who we are

The history of Basketball Unite Academy

It is early Saturday morning in Tema, and the sun is rising over the KLM Playground — a basketball court with one hoop and a partially broken concrete floor. In the next minutes, about 30 children will make their way through the narrow streets — resembling a chessboard from above — to arrive in small groups for practice. Headcoach Andy is already organizing things on his phone from the sideline, coach Fabian is shooting free throws, and Peter is coming out from his house behind the basket. The kids train daily by now, they form a community and they are winning tournaments and league games in the capital.

How did we get here in just four years without any funding? To explain, we should start with the city of Tema—its geometrically planned roads, its playgrounds every few streets, and three young men going to school.

Tema – 1957

Andy and Peter are the first two. They grow up in Tema, a city that had been developed into Ghana’s industrial hub by its first president, Kwame Nkrumah, after independence in 1957. Even decades later, Nkrumah’s influence is evident: the harbor, the oil refinery, whose flame is burning atop the city and the chocolate factory which fills the air with cocoa scent in the afternoon. Nkrumah’s administration had planned the city with streets like a chessboard, playgrounds every third street, and organized it into numbered districts, so-called Communities. Over time, some playgrounds are converted into basketball courts. One of these, the KLM Playground in Community 4, is now used daily by Basketball Unite Academy.

Cape Coast – 2009

As Andy and Peter grow up, they attend primary and high school, the latter one takes Andy to another city in Ghana: Cape Coast. So their ways part. But others cross: At the same time in Germany Fabian finishes high school and moves abroad for his national service to, guess where: Cape Coast. There, he and Andy meet by playing on the same basketball team in 2009. Andy is already the clubs youth coach and Fabian gets the chance to substitute for another coach on the weekend practices. So they also become co-coaches and over time: friends.

Community 4 – 2021

Eventually Fabian returns to Germany to start university and Andy moves back to Tema, to Community 4, where he reunites with Peter. The KLM Playground there still has a hoop and a few kids playing, but lacks structure and guidance for practice and community. So Andy conferrs with Peter and calls up Fabian with an idea: „We should start a new basketball NGO and you are in it.“ Fabian, always the critic, asks the tough questions: „How will we fund this? Do we have enough people? Do we have time with our regular jobs?“ But Andy responds, “We are starting this now!” And so, they do—starting in 2021.

Basketball Unite AcAdemy – today

Today, about 80 kids benefit from what began as an idea and is now a growing NGO and basketball community. In 2022, we host our first 3-on-3 tournament. By 2024, the NGO is officially registered in Ghana, and in 2025, the U13 team begins winning tournaments in the capital, Accra. That same year, we partner with the German NGO Young Africa Rising e.V. to expand our projects.

From multiple weekly practices to games and tournaments in Accra and Sunday learning sessions, Basketball Unite Academy is now up and running, aiming for sustainable growth. And it all happens on the same playgrounds built in the 1960s in the city Andy and Peter grew up in, back where they started as kids. Only now we have created a community of basketball players in Community 4. And we are far from done taking bold steps into the future. Let us see, where we can still take this.

Every day we go by our motto, that sums up our history, present and future: believe and achieve! 

What could this future be? Read our vision, if you are interested.

The Vision of Basketball Unite Academy

Caring for around 80 children and youth in our basketball community is a big responsibility, and we take it seriously. We prioritize their needs and voices, acknowledging the economic challenges they face. But how do we care for them, and how can we do better in the future? What is our vision for coaching and the organization?

Youth at the Center – Our Pedagogical Vision

We believe that with the right support and environment, kids can achieve anything. At Basketball Unite Academy, we provide that support in an encouraging, loving, yet disciplined way. We believe basketball teaches teamwork, creativity, goal-setting, fosters community, and promotes a healthy lifestyle. This community also offers essential academic and personal development support. In a country like Ghana, where economic hardship is widespread, we believe less privileged children need this support regularly and for free.

We strive to be the framework that makes all this possible for them, which requires both organizational and physical structures, as in actual buildings .

The Youth Center – Our Material Vision

We already have our basketball court, regular practices, games, and Sunday learning sessions in place. However, we envision a larger space to work more effectively and reach more children and youths:

In the long term, we aim to build and run a children and youth basketball center in Community 4! Imagine this: a full basketball court shaded from the sun, surrounded by a building with an office, a meeting room, a study hall, showers and changing rooms, and housing for international youth and coaching exchanges. Picture kids running around the court and facility, learning, supporting each other, and developing their talents in a structured environment.

Though the road to this vision is long, we are committed to building Basketball Unite Academy into a lasting NGO that will educate kids for decades. There will be many steps along the way, and we will take each one thoughtfully to reach our goal.

Funding

While we aim to operate as independently as possible, we rely on financial assistance and equipment donations for transportation, game costs, and to maintain our equipment. Currently, all our work is done in our free time, after regular jobs. Our vision is to eventually pay one or two of our coaches in Tema a salary so they can dedicate their full time to Basketball Unite Academy and realize its potential.

If you’d like to support our cause, you can click and donate below. We truly appreciate your support!