Bristol Flyers basketball team spreading the sport through communities in the city

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The Bristol Flyers basketball team have had a fantastic few years.

They regularly sell out the SGS Arena where they play home matches and they have given fans success domestically which has now also led to their first foray into European competition.

One of the things that people linked to the club are most proud of though is their outreach programme which now means that around 13,000 children are regularly playing the sport across the city.

At a community session at Cotham School during half-term this week several children got the chance to watch some of their heroes in training and then quiz them on what it takes to get to the very top of the sport.

The team have had a successful few years on the court and are helping to spread the game off it.

Bristol-born player Corey Samuels was one of the players in attendance. He grew up in Stoke Gifford and used to attend the sessions when he was a child.

"It is great being here and for the kids, it means a lot to see professionals come in and interact with them. The energy is crazy and it is such a fun thing to do," he said.

"I remember being their age and wanting to get to the session and the camps. I used to beg my parents to book me in and I used to have a blast just playing the sport with my friends and it is great to see."

The players stayed to answer questions and then also signed autographs, items of clothing and even the shoes of some of the children.

Bristol-born player Corey Samuels says that he used to attend sessions and camps like this when he was young.

"It is awesome that is what it is about it is about the next generation. We always talk about making Bristol proud," head coach Andreas Kapoulas, known as Coach K, said.

Some of the children even got the opportunity to face their idols 1v1 on the court. They didn't get much joy though with the Flyers first-team not taking it lightly on their younger opponents.

"The players are competitive and they want to win everything but the kids really like that and it is amazing to see them interact with each other," Coach K said.

The sessions will continue to run throughout the school holidays and also on weekends.

The aim is to keep spreading the sport through communities and help improve it for the future.