A PARTNERSHIP between University College Worcester and the Wolves basketball team has slam-dunked another first for the county.

After the continuing rise in popularity of the sport, and success within the community, a degree scholarship for female players has been launched by UCW and Worcester Wolves.

The first students to take advantage of the scheme will enrol in September.

It is being targeted at girls in urban areas who have an interest in basketball, but who might not have considered higher education.

It is the latest in a long line of initiatives started at the Henwick Grove campus, the biggest of all being the creation of the Worcester Wolves from scratch.

The club was formed in 2000 after existing National League teams failed to identify the opportunities for basketball and education.

Since its inception, which was led by businessman Roger Clarke and lecturer Mick Donovan, the club has netted several notable achievements.

Worcester Wolves have been promoted to Division One, new seating has been installed at its court at UCW and it has hosted junior internationals.

After three years of offering male players scholarships the University College is adding another string to its bow.

"It's very exciting," said Mick Donovan, project leader.

"We've got big partnerships with cricket, rugby and men's basketball and everyone was asking when we were going to do something for women.

"Basketball is growing and we identified that we needed to do more to promote women's sport.

"We've been awarded £9,000 from the Widening Participation Project to set up a team. The girls will come in and get fitness programmes and do all sorts of training - everything that we do for the men.

"There are a lot of inner city players who might not think about going to university.

"All the coaches we send out to schools are mainly male but lots of girls want to play. The women's scholarship scheme will provide good role models.

Mr Donovan is a senior lecturer and curriculum leader for sports studies and coaching science at UCW.

He has a number of credentials to his name, including senior coach of England Basketball, director of operations at Worcester Wolves and a spell as a school PE teacher.

"After spending years observing national teams fail in major sporting events and then seeing the education system being blamed for the country's failure to produce world beaters it was time to look at ways to give young people better opportunities to take part in sport.

"The more able would be encouraged to fulfil their potential and compete at the highest level, while gaining academic qualifications.

"Money, in the form of scholarships were the key ingredients for nurturing talent."

University College Worcester already has links with hundreds of schools where there are opportunities to motivate pupils and future athletes.

There are also ties with Worcestershire County Cricket Club and Worcester Rugby Club.

The college already has 600 students on its various sports science degree and HND courses.

That number will have been boosted by the launch of a £200,000 human performance laboratory. Athletes from on campus and across the country will be able to analyse performance and the different factors that affect it.

Students on the basketball scholarship scheme will now also be able to get key coaching and performance skills, as well as enhancing their own performance.

The scholars also get the opportunity to complete intensive training programmes with sports science support, play at National League level, develop a coaching profile and gain refereeing and officials awards.

Indeed, coaching is one of the main attributes to the courses on offer at UCW.

The Worcester Wolves coaches go out into schools and lead after-school clubs. Working within school-time is also on the cards.

There is also an outreach programme for youngsters at community sports centre.

"UCW has been inundated with requests from all over the world," said Mr Donovan.

"Yet the main focus is to develop home-grown talent, while securing an education and motivating other youngsters from wide-ranging schools and communities.

"We have more and more people entering higher education than ever before, many of whom have a desire to play sport.

"Sport and education maybe the way to see the return of Britain as a sporting nation."