US-bound Broadmeadows basketball squad looks for an assist

Jayde Kirk, Jaime Germaine-Gray, Grace Walsh, Chloe Fraser, Olivia Stanko-Free, and at back, Marissa Vocale, Georgia Keighran, Chelsea Lewis, Eliza Ogilvie and Tamsyn Kirk are set for the United States. (Damjan Janevski)

Eleven girls from Hume are about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, playing basketball across the United States.

The girls, ranging from 15-19 years of age, are part of the Broadmeadows Basketball Association and will head off on the representative tour later this year.

As part of the trip, the girls will visit four states, playing up to seven basketball games.

They will also attend Shoot 360, where each player will receive a shooting evaluation, ball handling analysis and constructive correction of their game from certified trainers.

Broadmeadows Basketball Association sponsorship co-ordinator Natalie Germaine-Gray said the trip would cost about $80,000.

She said the girls had started fundraising, with plans for trivia nights, barbecues and a comedy night, but they hoped local businesses could also sponsor the team.

“Opportunities such as this do not come around very often for our young people,” Ms Germaine-Gray said. “This group are not only basketball players but true community leaders, domestic and representative coaches, referees, [they] run clinics for juniors, work at the stadium and are involved in a great deal of community fundraising and voluntary work.”

Jaime Germaine-Gray, who is one of the players taking part in the tour, said she was excited by the opportunity to play basketball in America.

She said the players viewed the trip as a once in a lifetime experience.

Anyone interested in sponsoring the team should email natgg72@gmail.com