A group of Mid North teenagers are on a trip of a lifetime and will play in two youth basketball tournaments overseas.
The group of 18 tai tamariki and their two coaches left New Zealand on Tuesday to compete at both the Works Indigenous Youth and the Malakihikihi Age Group tournaments, which are being played in Hawaii over the next two weeks.
Even more remarkable is that all of the players who hail from the Kaikohe, Kerikeri and Hokianga areas have been playing the game for only a short time, courtesy of the Youth Development and Marae Holiday Programmes run by Papa Mel and Mama Del Rameka through their organisation, Mid North United Sports.
Mel said the remarkable progression shown by all the players in the touring party was a credit to the phenomenal team at MNUS and had been made possible thanks to support from various other organisations including Ngapuhi Iwi Social Services.
"They see what we do as a awesome youth development tool. Our [Mel and Del's] mission statement is, Whanau — Education — Future, which enables us to let them know that winning in life is by far more important than winning games and championships.