Thousands of Boroondara girls love basketball
Boroondara girls are obsessed with basketball, with 3000 playing on a weekly basis as part of the Hawthorn Basketball Association, which has just been awarded the best junior sports program in the state.
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Boroondara girls are obsessed with basketball.
Three-thousand girls from 13 different domestic clubs play basketball on a weekly basis, as part of the Hawthorn Basketball Association (HBA).
The junior representative branch of the HBA is Hawthorn Junior Magic Basketball, which has just been awarded the best junior sports program in the state.
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Awarded by Basketball Victoria, Junior Magic was recognised for their outstanding success in 2018.
The program is for both junior boys and girls, but has 190 of the most elite girl players from Boroondara compete every Friday night.
The Hawthorn Basketball Association general manager Brock Rogers said the club was bucking a national trend of declining participation of girls in basketball and thought there might even be more girls playing basketball than netball in Boroondara.
Across all junior programs at HBA, girls represent 45 per cent of players.
Hawthorn Basketball Girls director of coaching, Michael Dimattina said the number of women’s teams had been steadily increasing every year.
Ella Crump, 16, is a Junior Magic player and has been playing for over six years.
“I love basketball because it allows me to push to my limits to achieve goals and to learn how to work in a team.,” she said.
The Hawthorn East sports star said it’s hard to explain her love for basketball.
“It’s just a feeling I get when I step onto the court that I can’t describe.”
“Basketball is a perfect sport for girls to play because it allows them to be physical and highly competitive.”
Mr Rogers said the Hawthorn Basketball Association would also roll out a number of new initiatives in 2019, including a range of athlete wellbeing and educational seminars, extra School Holiday clinics, and new skills acquisition programs”.
The next round of player tryouts for the Junior Magic Program will take place in October.
Details: hawthornbasketball.com.au
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