Woodville’s Aboriginal basketball academy set for US tour, may link up with San Antonio Spurs’ star Patty Mills

Woodville Basketball Club will take its Aboriginal academy to the US and is keen to try and meet up with San Antonio Spurs’ indigenous star Patty Mills.

Woodville Basketball Club's James Boonstoppel, pictured wearing the specially designed indigenous jersey, alongside Warriors coach Scott Whitmore. Picture: AAP/Roy VanDerVegt

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Woodville’s Aboriginal Basketball Academy is hopeful of linking up with San Antonio Spurs’ indigenous star Patty Mills when it tours the US in November.

Warriors greats Paul Vandenbergh and Tim Brenton helped to establish the academy two years ago in a bid to increase the number of indigenous students completing Year 12.

The US trip will be the academy’s first tour and it will take a team of up to 17 students.

Only youngsters with high attendance records will be given an opportunity to travel.

Vandenbergh is friends with Mills through family connections – the Boomers point guard’s mother, Yvonne, is Vandenbergh’s second cousin – and they have spoken about possibly heading to San Antonio with the academy.

San Antonio Spurs and Boomers star Patty Mills. Picture: David Swift.

“When I spoke to him about the academy when it was first established, he was all over it,” says Vandenbergh, a guard in 330 games for Woodville and one NBL season with Canberra.

“Since then he’s donated some shoes and some clothes, so he’s been quite supportive.

“He’s coming to Australia soon and we are hoping to get him to Adelaide because he’s a perfect role model for these kids.

“I’ve mentioned it to him and he said if we can get to San Antonio he’d look after us there.”

Students in the academy spend one day a week at Woodville’s St Clair courts, studying as well as playing basketball.

Vandenbergh, who is also Port Adelaide Football Club’s Aboriginal programs director, wants to reduce the gap between the number of Aboriginal and non-indigenous students finishing high school and going on to further study.

Port Adelaide Aboriginal programs director and former Woodville basketball star Paul Vandenbergh. Picture: Sarah Reed

“The role-modelling is often not there in Aboriginal communities to show kids these are achievable industries to go into and often they think it’s not achievable,” he says.

“We need our young people to think university is 100 per cent an opportunity for them.”

Warriors men’s coach and former Woodville player Scott Whitmore sits on the academy’s board and is charged with finding sponsors to put the trip together.

The club will further celebrate Aboriginal culture and commemorate Reconciliation Week when its men’s and women’s Premier League teams wears an indigenous uniform in two home games – against Forestville on Saturday night and Eastern on July 14, which honours NAIDOC Week.

Vandenbergh and his 10-year-old daughter, Hunter, designed the jersey.

“It’s not just about designing a uniform, it’s about educating people about Aboriginal culture and what it means,” Vandenbergh says.

Forestville and Eastern Mavericks will also wear indigenous jerseys against the Warriors.