New Zealand continue to foster growth of youth basketball

Auckland (New Zealand) - Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) is determined to stage their Secondary School national competition in 2020 despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Basketball New Zealand Chief Executive, Iain Potter, shared that there will be a new process to this year's competition, that will help in organizing the national competition.

“Attending a national event is a big deal for schools and the kids who get to play. The basketball community gets in behind it and we are grateful an event can still proceed," Potter said.

"This year might be different, but it will be a celebration of secondary schools basketball," he added.

The national event will take place in Palmerston North, New Zealand from 29 September to 3 October and the qualification process will be through regional and local competitions to determine the participating schools. 

"We thought it might be possible to host an adapted event and worked closely with New Zealand School Sport around this qualification approach," Potter said.

"It will be better for schools, parents, and players – it means less time-pressure, less cost, and less interference for local sporting and academic activities," he added.

BBNZ is determined to ride the positive momentum and phenomenal growth of basketball with the sport recording the second most participated school sport in 2019.

Aside from their competition events, BBNZ continued its community program, 'Hoops in Schools' which installs new hoops in schools around the country.

Mayfair Schools and Tamatea High School are the latest recipients of the initiative.

“The hoops have been a revelation. The kids cannot get enough of them and community members are coming down outside of school hours making the most of the new resource," said Mayfair School Principal Ricardo Fox.

“Our old hoops were archaic and what ‘Hoops in Schools’ has done is provide our young ones with the opportunity to have instant access and helps get them moving," he added.

Potter acknowledges the welcome challenge of developing new facilities for the fastest growing youth sport in the country.

“The Hoops in Schools program has been wonderfully supported by the likes of the Lion Foundation. They see that their investment is resulting in great community experiences," he said.

“We know the first two installations further North have resulted in a big bump in basketball participation at those schools. Kids want to play the game; they just need to be given the opportunity," he added.

 FIBA