Anne Parisianne
Inside an indoor basketball court, a group of Dallas Brooks Primary School students passed around the ball trying to score.
This basketball court will be a home base for Dallas Phoenix, a new junior local basketball club for kids in Dallas, Broadmeadows and surrounding suburbs.
The Phoenix was formed after the Broadmeadows Basketball Association [BBA] received a VicHealth JumpStart! grant, which supports support local and youth-led solutions that provide more opportunities for Victoria’s children and young people.
The association formed a youth committee with five young people meeting fortnightly to help develop the club which will launch in April.
The club offers several low-cost or no-cost programs for kids aged five to 17 with any basketball ability. Many children in the area have never played a sport before.
Committee member Chanel Koeleman said the club will be an outlet for kids in the community to learn the basic skills of basketball and to grow as athletes.
The committee consulted local primary schools in the Hume area before creating the club.
Ms Koeleman is a basketball player and a coach and said she hopes the club can give the kids a sense of belonging, which is a critical point for young people.
“I have a love for basketball, and I know how it feels to be part of something special. So I just want to provide that [same feeling] to the kids,” the 19-year-old said.
The committee created the name Dallas Phoenix and designed its logo and jersey.
In developing Dallas Phoenix club, the committee was mentored by BBA senior staff.
BBA president Peter Jackson said the association wanted to create a community-led club representing the local population and provide opportunities for kids to engage in basketball.
“We aim to teach children about life skills through the agency of…basketball,” he said.
“It teaches them how to work together as a team, how to win with humility and lose with grace, and how to fair play.”
The BBA is one of the largest sports organisations in Hume, offering structured and social programs for all ages and abilities.
Dallas Brooks Primary School PE teacher Wayne Schultz said the main obstacle to community basketball participation has been the absence of a local basketball club.
He said the establishment of the Phoenix will significantly reduce the barrier, making it much easier for local students to engage in basketball.
“There’s massive love for the game here,” he said.
