Shellharbour Bulls run a girls-only league to help develop females in the sport. Photos: Shellharbour Bulls.
A basketball league in Shellharbour that provides important opportunities for girls is hoping to bolster participation rates with a free clinic and help secure longevity of their domestic competition and representative options.
Shellharbour City Basketball Association, better known as Shellharbour Bulls, was launched last year after organisers identified the need for pathways in the sport, particularly for young female athletes.
“We saw there was a need for more representative basketball for the kids of Shellharbour,” Shellharbour Bulls Executive Board Member Amy Woodward said.
“There was no pathway for them; they either had to go to Illawarra, or Wollondilly or Shoalhaven and we’re such a massive area, we had all these kids that there was just no space for them anywhere else.
“This talent pool was getting lost.”
Originally under the banner of Kiama as approvals went through, Shellharbour Bulls managed to put together two girls representatives sides in its first year of operation.
It kept that interest going, sending away the same number of sides under its own name and colours, this year.
While it has committed players coming through its ranks, a lack of new interest could see it struggle to fill younger age groups.
“Girls engagement is really lacking,” Amy said.
“We have some girls who are about to age up into our Under 18s and then we don’t have this push behind.
“We have this really good group of Under 16s but even our Under 14s next year is going to drop off because we don’t have those Under 12s coming through.”
The club is hoping that by helping girls between 8 and 15 years old get a taste for the sport in a free clinic these school holidays it could boost its numbers for the next season.
“Most of the girls, and the boys, once they start with the balls, they don’t leave,” Amy said.
“We’re really hoping that we’re going to get some younger girls in that age group, if we can convince them to come and play with us.”
The Bulls provide plenty of options to get on the court with competitive and social levels and development opportunities.
“We have a girls-only competition which is open to 8 to 15 year olds and they all get mixed into teams and the older girls mentor the younger girls,” Amy said.
“To the point where you will see these older girls pass the ball to the younger girl and then the other team steps back and lets her take a shot.
“It’s really empowering for the girls to learn. We don’t do finals, we don’t do a ladder; it doesn’t matter, it’s just about playing the sport.”
The sport also competes with others such as netball, and Amy said girls often can’t see themselves playing basketball when even the basketball clothes aren’t always readily accessible in popular sporting stores.
“You ask where are the female basketball clothes and there are none – there is male, or there is kids,” Amy said.
“The girls can’t walk into a shop and try on their gear; it’s all got to be bought online.”
Dozens have already signed up for the free clinic with each participant set to receive a free singlet.
The event is open to girls from across the region with the skills and activities tailored to their level.
“It’s free, it doesn’t cost a cent,” Amy said.
“They can drop them off, have two hours free, come back and pick them up and they’ll be tired – we’ll wear them out.”
The clinic is on Tuesday 15 July from 10 am to noon at Shellharbour City Stadium on Croome Road.
To sign up to the free clinic or find out more about the event or the competitions available, visit the Shellharbour Bulls website.
