Basketball is set to take off in Scottish schools with the launch of a major initiative. A new three-year programme, backed to the tune of pound;180,000 by the Clydesdale Bank and Sportscotland’s pound-for-pound Sportsmatch scheme, will breathe fresh life into the youth side of the game.

With full-time development officers in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the new programme will focus on Scotland’s two major cities in the first year and then reach out to other areas of the country in the second and third years while still keeping their profile in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The money will be used to increase awareness of the sport in the city and, in an important step forward, there will be six “ambassadors” in each city. These will be players or coaches of Scottish international standing, whose remit will be to go into schools to sell the sport.

“Their duties will be to spread the word about programmes that are going on in Edinburgh and Glasgow,” explains Donna Finnie, Edinburgh development officer.

“In Edinburgh, where the game has been strong in recent years, we are starting with primary schools where we have 50 registered but maybe only 35 or 36 actively playing.”

Edinburgh Rocks is the only professional team in Scotland and its presence has helped raise the profile of the game. But in terms of increasing the number of players, there has not been any significant impact.

“We want to look closely at girls’ basketball, which is not as strong as it could be,” continues Miss Finnie. “Speaking to teachers in Edinburgh, it seems that the opportunities for girls’ football have increased and become more attractive and the better athletes are taking that up. In a way, we are competing for the same girls and it’s a case of trying to get them before they go to football, and then trying to keep them.”

There is no shortage of interest in basketball from teenage boys who follow the American game on television and in films, but the girls’ game does not have the same role models.

In America, the women’s National Basketball Association league has taken off in recent years. However, Miss Finnie points out that the players are not household names over here and there is not the same access to American merchandise.

A former Portobello High pupil, Nicky Emblem, who had trials to play in the women’s NBA but failed to make the grade, is currently head coach of a high school team in Oklahoma.

“It would have helped us raise the profile of the girls’ game over here, had she made it, but there is no shortage of opportunities for Scottish players,” Miss Finnie goes on.

“Charlotte Nelson, another former Portobello High pupil, has just started playing in the college game in America.

“In international terms, it is easier for girls in this country to make a breakthrough than it would be for the men.”

Miss Finnie has seen her budget for a development squad increase dramatically from pound;500 to pound;25,500 and is excited about the opportunity that lies ahead.

“Some of the money will go on promotional material like t-shirts, posters, banners and mini-balls, but that can also only increase the awareness in the sport,” she says.

There are only six teams playing in the women’s National League in Scotland and the number needs to increase for the game to thrive in future. That is why the current initiative will provide important foundations for the sport.

The Glasgow scheme mirrors the Edinburgh programme. Already there are 26 teams competing in four secondary schools leagues (S1-S2 and S3-S6 boys and girls) and there are a number of primary schools initiatives, including a 10-team Easterhouse league.

“Originally I expected the new scheme to encompass 30 schools, but now it’s looking as if it will be more like 50 schools in the Glasgow City Council area,” explains Adrienne Hunter, Glasgow development officer.

“I think the sport has a lot of street-cred anyway. The kids have seen the game on television and come to the coaching camps we hold during the school holidays with all the gear and are really enthusiastic to play. We have to turn kids away from some of our camps because they are so popular, and we simply can’t cater for the demand.

“Through the outdoor basketball initiative we have recently erected eight outdoor courts at Victoria Park in Glasgow, and it attracts a lot of recreational players. The opportunity is there for all children to use them, whether they are linked to a club or not. Obviously they can go on and join clubs as it is important for pathways to be created.”

The new programme - in Edinburgh, Glasgow and beyond - will stress the need for closer school-club links to ensure the sport’s future well-being.

There is currently a Glasgow Under-16 team playing in the men’s national league and it is doing well, so the signs are good for when they mature.

It is likely to be some years before the full impact of the new programme will be known, but it is seen as one of the most important moves in the sport in the last 10 years.