The School Basketball League (ŠKL) is one of the most recognisable sports-educational initiatives among young people in Slovenia. The collection was donated to the Sports Museum by Vojko Korošec, one of the founders of ŠKL.
The ŠKL project began in the 1995/1996 school year as a nationwide youth basketball competition for primary and secondary schools.
The primary aim of the project was to enable active participation of young people not only in sports but also in accompanying activities. The league runs from September to May each school year. From the outset, schools across Slovenia were involved in organising and hosting competitions on their own courts. Logistical support for transportation was also provided, as ŠKL, in cooperation with the Slovenian Association of Bus Operators, arranged transport for teams to individual matches.
Beyond direct sporting activities, ŠKL offered opportunities for those not primarily focused on sports. Journalism, photography, video and art clubs, event organisers, and young school referees were all included. Each match was officiated by one referee from the Basketball Federation of Slovenia (KZS) and one young school referee, providing both a mentoring component and opportunities for youth to take on active roles. Video recordings of matches made by the video club could be submitted to the ŠKL Federation and were later incorporated into ŠKL television broadcasts.
The programme’s success and quality are evidenced by the many accomplished basketball players who emerged from ŠKL teams, including Jaka Lakovič, Boštjan Nachbar, Primož Brezec, Sašo Ožbolt, Erazem Lorbek, Domen Lorbek, Uroš Slokar, and others.
In 2025, as part of preparing the sectoral exhibition Heritage Beneath the Hoop, the Sports Museum undertook the systematic digitisation of basketball-related materials, including the ŠKL photographic collection. The museum’s photo archive thus provides insight into the history of matches, teams, fan culture, and accompanying activities of ŠKL. The photographic material in the archive originates from school photography clubs, capturing events from the perspective of schools, mentors, and competition participants, thereby preserving authentic documentary value.
The implementation of the digitisation programme, archival organisation, and publication of the ŠKL collection was made possible through co-funding by the Sports Foundation, for which we extend our sincere thanks.
