THIRTEEN-year-old Austin Chivers says healthy eating is all right. He is learning a lot more about good fuel at Midnight Basketball sessions.
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Austin said there was a lot of team-building work – then he gets to step on the floor and play, learning a few plays from Ballarat Miner Ollie Bailey.
“Ollie’s cool. He teaches some really cool moves,” Austin said. “You make a lot of new friends really fast.”
The youth engagement program has quickly caught on. Six participants joined in for the first week and now, four weeks in, the program has more than 30 teenagers involved learning about the game and handy life skills.
Austin’s mum Stacie Chivers has been blown away by the change in her son. Austin, a massive Golden State Warriors fan, loves watching basketball and shoots a few baskets with friends but has never played the game in organised competition.
He generally has not been one to sit for long in lessons either, Ms Chivers said.
“Austin got home that first night and has been non-stop talking about it,” Ms Chivers said. “We got some information in the letterbox and my son was in to basketball, so we thought we’d try it out and see how he goes. He really enjoys it.”
Midnight Basketball has a no workshop, no jumpshots policy: participants must attend compulsory sessions and eat a hot, nutritious meal before tournament-style matches. They are then driven home by midnight.
The nationwide program, for youth aged 13-18, aims to build skills, confidence and teamwork.
Miner Ollie Bailey and Rush’s Sophie Alexander, joining as coaches and mentors, have been impressed with how engaged participants are in workshops and matches, with beaming smiles the whole time.
“I am really enjoying speaking with the players about their life and how sport can make a difference for their future,” Mr Bailey said.
The trial program is held at St Patrick’s College each Friday night. Midnight Basketball Ballarat chairman Mark Valentine said growing popularity and interest in the trial program should ensure it becomes ongoing.
Mr Valentine said ideally, the program could grow in the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre, should the venue receive full funding to expand. Basketball Ballarat is in early talks on developing similar programs in nearby towns like Avoca, Beaufort, Ararat, Maryborough and Skipton from the BSEC hub.
