Shooting hoops with Breakers star

Whatututu School students Te Ahuru Pari (left) and Pimia Higgins compete against each other under the watchful eye of New Zealand Breakers captain Tom Abercrombie, who came to Gisborne courtesy of Basketball New Zealand and Turanga Health. Pictures by Paul Rickard

Laughter, joy and the sound of bouncing basketballs reverberated off the playground of Whatatutu School yesterday.

New Zealand Breakers captain Tom Abercrombie was a popular man as he took about 40 students through drills, games and match skills.

Overhead sat a new basketball hoop and backboard, all part of the Basketball New Zealand programme Hoops in Schools, designed to boost participation in the sport and to encourage physical activity.

Turanga Health life skills coach Luke Bradley said the iwi health provider and Basketball New Zealand had brought Hoops in Schools back to Gisborne.

The programme had come to Gisborne before and this year the emphasis was on rural schools.

On Wednesday Abercrombie had visited Muriwai School (40 participating students), Patutahi School (40 students) and Manutuke (156 students), with another 30 students at Whatututu on Thursday.

“It was awesome to have so many kids across two days.”

Dan Dawick of Basketball New Zealand said playing numbers were “exploding across the country”.

Coverage of the American NBA helped, and the sport was accessible.

Hoops in Schools was also a contributing factor.

“All you need is a hoop, a bit of concrete and a ball — you play with your mates.”

Abercrombie, a four-time (trans-tasman) National Basketball League winner, 2011 finals MVP, most capped Breaker, and a Tall Black, has the warmth, personality and enthusiasm to promote the programme among school students.

He said he enjoyed the role which took him to many New Zealand destinations he would not otherwise see.

“I try to get out as much as I can in the off-season.

“The programme’s about getting out to the different quarters of New Zealand and making sure everyone has access to sports.

“It has been a great two days.

“It’s a sport which is on the rise, It’s easy to play — you just need a hoop and a ball.

“The programme’s a good start for the kids.

“The more who are playing, the better.”

Te Uetuku (Tuku) Milner, a Year 10 student, said he was “not a good player, but not bad either”.

He played for a school side which participated in a tournament at Gisborne Boys’ High School.

His schoolmates who were not regular players enjoyed basketball as much as he did.

Matenga-Ruta Cassidy-Brown, a Year 7 student, said he was not a regular player but he trained with a basketball team.

The Hoops in Schools programme with Abercrombie was “pretty good”.

He had seen the Breakers star and Tall Black on TV “a couple of times”.

Abercrombie said the aim for the Breakers next season was to “go one better than this year” when they lost the finals three matches to two against the Sydney Kings.

“That’s sport — someone has to lose,’ said Abercrombie.

“I think we’ll come back bigger and stronger.

“You have to lose before you win, sometimes.”