“I knew at halftime that City Lights were going to win the men’s grand final with their quickness, ball-movement and teamwork.
“Dwayne Tamatea and the GBA work hard and what they’re doing with the youth programme is really good.”
Steph and the late Kingi Arapeta began the mini-league comprising Gisborne Intermediate, Ilminster, St Mary’s and a team from Te Karaka in 1980, and the secondary schools league started in 1981.
The first GBA age-group teams — 11- and 12-year-olds — played at under-14 level with an adult-size basketball.
When Steph started playing basketball, in 1960, games were held at the Army Hall. About a year later, they moved to the old YMCA across the road in Fitzherbert Street. The current YMCA opened in 1962, and within three years the GBA had 30-odd club teams.
The A Grade and A Reserve played at the YMCA on Monday and Tuesday nights respectively, and the B Grade played at Lytton High School on Wednesday nights.
Steph recalled a three-year period during which GBA u14, u16 and u18 boys’ teams at zone tournaments all qualified for national tournaments.
“Clive Kelly at Gisborne Boys’ High and John Giffen at Girls’ High made a great contribution to secondary schools’ basketball,” Steph said.
“Cliff Blumfield has done a lot for refereeing, easily and willingly as a volunteer ... he’s been refereeing for 50-plus years.
“I take my hat my off to him for doing a thankless job, for the time and effort he’s put into the game. He’s definitely the best referee that Gisborne basketball has had.”
Steph Beattie began playing basketball at 16, as a fill-in for a Moleta family team called the Turbettes — the male equivalent being the Turbos — on Wednesday nights in the Army Hall.
“You had to throw long passes flat so that the ball didn’t hit the beams,” she said.
“Legends of the local game such as the late Ivan Cowley, John Page and Jack Williams were all playing.
“Ivan was the GBA’s first life member. Life members have to make an all-round contribution to the sport, with the length of time given to playing, coaching, selecting teams, refereeing and administration taken into account.
“Ivan served on the committee and encouraged people to play. His enthusiasm for the game was considerable.
“The first rep team I travelled with was the women’s senior team to Whakatane. Our captain was Maureen Jones and we had other experienced players such as Shirley Cowley to play games at the War Memorial Hall over there.
“To play representative basketball was magical — it was very special to be part of that because, at 17, I was the youngest player and we had a pretty strong team.
“In 1989, the Rising Suns created a buzz — the YMCA was packed on that first night. I was president at the time. Neville West, who played that evening and who was also on the committee, welcomed everyone to the YMCA.
“Brian Crawshaw, our mayor, threw up the ceremonial tip. The crowd in the stadium was at least 500; people stood in the foyer for the entire game. To give you an idea of how popular the Suns were and the effect they had on the public . . . my own parents had never been to a game until that evening, but after that they were in the car and following the team to every away game they could get to. From then on, they never missed a home game.
“Graham Stevens, of Rotorua, and Basketball New Zealand life member Basil Marsh, former head coach of the Tall Ferns, did excellent work coaching here in the years before the Suns.”
Steph recalled the 1972 visit of a women’s team from West Torrens, Adelaide. Gisborne lost to them at the YMCA, and Steph had to watch the game on crutches.
“I’d broken my right ankle playing for McIldowie’s a week or so before,” she said.
“Elaine Anderson, who played for Guy and Dunsmore, Mina Newcombe of the Rovers and I were selected to play with the Bay of Plenty women against an Australian team, Coburg, in Auckland. The following year, another local player, Pauline Murphy — who played with me for McIldowie’s — was also selected to play a visiting team.
“Tom Brodie, Neville West, Stuart Covell and Quentin Colebourne were all selected to trial for the Bay of Plenty men one year but because they had to travel to Rotorua three times a week to train, all bar Quentin — who moved to Rotorua — had to withdraw.
“Quentin was tall, agile, a very good all-round player. To compete, our best people have always had to travel but there are ways around that, and ways to save money.
“Basketball is a wonderful game and a big part of my life, although family comes first. I used to take all of my kids — Tanya, DJ, Corinne, Shane — on away trips. The YMCA was my second home, and I had some really good people helping me along the way.
“Dare I say it, I might pop in again.”
