Basketball: Dual star courts success in both codes

Year 12 Otumoetai College pupil Kelcy Ballantyne has her sights set on a sports scholarship to a university in the United States. Photo / John Borren

Kelcy Ballantyne is used to juggling her two major sporting ambitions.

The 16-year-old Otumoetai College student was the youngest player named in the tournament team after the 2014 Under-23 national championship basketball tournament held at ASB Arena last month.

Just a few days later she was competing at the same venue for her Tauranga club in the national club volleyball tournament.

When asked of her preference between basketball and volleyball, the dual New Zealand age group rep admitted it was a tough question.

"I enjoy volleyball -- it's so competitive living in Tauranga," she said. "Coming to Otumoetai College, volleyball is just culture. You just play. Mr Henderson picked me up.

"But with basketball, I enjoy the game, I enjoy the physicality. I enjoy finishing a game and feeling like you've played really hard."

Her smile grows wider still when it is mentioned that it is also possible to drop 40 points on someone on a basketball court.

"That's not bad," she said.

Ballantyne is well-placed, and she knows it.

A quirk in rules governing scholarships to American universities improves her chances of a free ride -- an equal number of sporting scholarships must be given to both genders -- meaning large American football, basketball and baseball programmes result in dozens of basketball and volleyball scholarships for young women.

"In New Zealand I can play in the post and I'm a big person for my age, but if I want to play overseas, I'm not very big," she said. "So I have to spend a lot of time on my shooting and ball handling if I'm going to have a future in the game.

"It's also really important for me to keep my grades high if I want to go to America. You might be the best athlete but not have the grades to match. You order in an American textbook and that becomes your best friend.

"The curriculum is different but there are a lot of the same ideas, so what I learn in New Zealand I can apply to the SATs."

She plans to spend the rest of the year playing volleyball and developing her body to help in the prevention of injuries, before facing a choice between the two sports after college.