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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-01 Daily Xml
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HOOPS4LIFE

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (15:42): I would like to speak today about Hoops4Life. I recently had the opportunity to visit one of the longstanding local clubs—the Two Rivers Basketball Association and the Hoops4Life program—which currently use the Angle Vale Primary School gym on a Monday night.

This year the Two Rivers basketball club which has been running basketball in the north since 1995 has become involved with the Hoops4Life program. Included in this relationship is UnitingCare Wesley and local churches, and together they achieve remarkable things. Recently it received a Be Active grant to support this excellent social inclusion and sports program in the north.

The program is designed to support young people between the ages of eight and 19, their parents and carers to develop good physical and mental wellbeing and life skills through sports, in particular basketball. Participants in the program develop and grow their skills in sportsmanship, effective communication, goal-setting, problem-solving and decision-making, emotional control, positive motivation, habits, conditions and attitude—all in a team environment. Participants learn firsthand that if they develop these skills through the game of basketball they can use them in other areas of their lives such as school, work, family relationships and friendships.

How does the program work? Each Monday night the players are taught and challenged with opportunities on the court that contribute to the development of these skills. The program is flexible enough to deal with a number of disadvantages including physical or mental disabilities, anger management issues, learning disabilities, and social, cultural or economic issues that the children face. The leadership of the team is rotated to allow all participants to experience what it is like to lead. On the Monday night that I attended I was delighted to see the level of respect given to the coaches and umpires, and the number of families supporting their children in achieving these important life skills.

Parents are also encouraged to participate in the program in a number of ways. Engaged volunteer parents can acquire the following skills: management and administration skills; build confidence and self-esteem for themselves and further their social networks; and skills including community senior first aid certificates, level 1 coaching courses, umpiring courses, timekeeping courses and scoring courses. For many people in the community in the north social isolation is a common feature so sport is an important way that they can contribute back to their community.

On the Monday night that I was there I took great pleasure in presenting some trophies to two young adults who have overcome a great deal and shown excellent leadership skills at the club recently. One of the young men that I presented a trophy to had overcome a lifelong disability to participate in the program and recognised that it was changing his life, and that of his parents and grandparents, and that it had, indeed, saved his life in many ways. Another newly arrived young person took it upon himself to coordinate and manage a team of friends each week during school-term-based competitions, and he was recognised that Monday night with a special trophy to encourage his leadership and his community's involvement in the team.

I would like to put on the record of this house my thanks and sincere belief in what they do at the club. My thanks to Mr Tony Moore, Coach and Program Development Coordinator for Hoops for Life; local Two Wells resident and longtime advocate for basketball in the north, Paul Schmelzkopf, who is the Program Liaison and also works at Centrelink in the north; and Julia Taylor, Community Development Worker with Uniting Care Wesley, for their dedication, compassion, good humour and respect for the young people and families of the north.

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