Youngsters given big jamboree opportunity

Jamboree fun: Gisborne Basketball Association junior players are having a ball at the Basketball Pacific Under-12 Jamboree. They are (from left): Jorja Kepa, Taimarie Matahiki, Riley Lewis, Kohine Aupouri, Jerome Tamatea, Wirihana Papuni, Felix Sparks, Jack John Maurirere, Oakley Brown-Terekia, Dominique Wilson, Kingi Rakuraku and Quaydon Kora. Picture by Dwayne Tamatea

BASKETBALL

This is absolutely incredible.

Twelve of Gisborne Basketball Association’s keenest under-12 players — Jerome Tamatea, Felix Sparks, Wirihana Papuni, Jack John Maurirere, Oakley Brown-Terekia, Kingi Rakuraku, Dominique Wilson, Quaydon Kora, Jorja Kepa, Taimarie Matahiki, Riley Lewis and Kohine Aupouri — are on the biggest trip of their basketball lives so far.

The six boys and six girls are at the Basketball Pacific Under-12 Jamboree being held at New Plymouth today, tomorrow and Sunday.

Fifteen coaches, 140 players, 20 referees and 18 managers will share, learn and develop at the third straight jamboree to be run in New Plymouth under Basketball Pacific director Matt Cursons.

“It’s educational fun-time for kids from different associations,” said Cursons, who has been involved in the sport for 25 years.

“They get mixed up, put into teams at random, train together and compete together.

“We want the kids to have a great basketball experience — all 10 of the member associations nominate a boy and girl from their own association to attend a jamboree in Aubrey and Melbourne this November.”

All the players at the jamboree in New Plymouth be under the eye of head coach Dwayne Tamatea, of Gisborne, and — among others — Robyn Ruka and Tony Eldershaw.

Ruka, who will deal with the managers’ development aspect, will take those players selected to the jamboree in Australia while Basketball New Zealand referee trainer Eldershaw will oversee referee development during the next three days.

Today the players were to train from 1pm to 4.30pm under Tamatea and his coaches, while the managers were to attend a strapping and first-aid course.

Managers were also to be taken through score-bench and statistics. The refs were to cover mechanics and interpretations.

Tomorrow, from 8am to 5.30pm, the players will be in two training sessions with games, competitions and activities.

The Sunday programme will run from 8am to 12.30pm and after prize-giving all the players will receive a ball and T-shirt.

The member associations will notify the families of those players they wish to nominate for the jamboree in Australia.

Cursons said he loved this event because the youngsters had the opportunity to take part in sport and improve over the weekend. Three or four years down the track their development could be seen at Basketball New Zealand tournaments.

“Tama does an outstanding job with the players and the coaches,” Cursons said.

“He relates very well to the kids, teaches them the right skills the right way, and keeps it fun for them.”