By Callum Ludwig
A series of come ‘n try basketball sessions are being held at the Yarra Centre through January to help encourage local residents to get engaged in community sport.
The free sessions will be held on Tuesday 16, 23 and 30 January from 1pm to 2.30pm, particularly aimed at 16 to 25-year-olds, but those older are also welcome.
Reclink Australia are helping facilitate the sessions and Sports Coordinator for the Yarra Ranges Anthea Merson said Reclink’s goal is to bring people together through sport and other recreation.
“Part of our goal is finding people who may have been marginalised for whatever reason and giving them access to something they may not have been able to access otherwise, whether that’s the social connection, whether that’s the professional coaching or the safe space to come and play and be around other people with the same interests,” she said.
“If that does get them joining a team, forming that social connection and those health benefits, that’s even better, we’d love to see that,”
“We’ve got a young local woman, Sophie, who will be doing the coaching for us, she’s a very skilled young local player, so it’s great as well to be providing some employment for a young local person.”
All skill levels are welcome, even for those who may have never picked up a basketball before, and the Yarra Centre and the sessions are disability accessible, including the changing and shower facilities. Free fruit and water will be provided at the sessions.
Referees Advisor and Vice President of the Upper Yarra Basketball Association (UYBA), which is played in the Yarra Centre stadium, Paul Traynor said they are happy to be helping out.
“Hopefully we get more players out of it, playing basketball and getting off the couch and out there doing something and coach whoever comes along, we hold coaching sessions normally and games played here every day of the week except Wednesday,” he said.
“Even though basketball is a skilled game, we have a lot of players here that had never picked up a ball, let alone a basketball before and we give them opportunities to actually learn the skills as they play so they don’t have to do a big training program or spend lots of money on all the equipment.”
The series of basketball sessions are a collaborative effort; VicHealth has provided funding for Reclink Australia to deliver the program, Belgravia Leisure is glad to see the sessions held in the Yarra Centre facility with the UYBA in support while Eastern Health and Inspiro are on board to support and promote the program and the benefits it has for community health and connection.
Health Promotion Officer at Eastern Health Casey Dykes said one of their priority areas is increasing physical activity and active living.
“Obviously this falls perfectly into that and we also focus on other health areas including fostering resilient aspects for inclusive communities and social connection and those sort of things,” she said.
“Something like this provides the community with the physical activity, social connection and reduces isolation which is what we’re all about so we are here to partner with the other organisations and provide that.”
Recreation and sporting opportunities are a key focus in the Yarra Ranges, with Yarra Ranges Council setting a goal to aim to increase physical activity by 15 percent over the next 10 years in their Active Recreation plan passed in October 2023.
Through their community engagement prior to the plan, 89 percent of residents who responded said they would be more active if there were something interesting, appealing, accessible and convenient for them available.
For any enquiries about the basketball sessions, call Ms Merson at 0434 163 391.
