Player Opportunities

Learn to bounce. Muck around with mates. Develop your skills. Represent your school or association with pride. Play, compete, succeed. Basketball is a game for everyone.

Basketball New Zealand has a range of programmes and opportunities for players of all ages and stages.

Our programmes are designed to meet the needs of players as they develop. This development is outlined in the Basketball New Zealand Player Development Guidelines. These guidelines are based on the Sport New Zealand Sport and Recreation Pathway.

Kiwi Hoops is our national junior basketball programme for 5 to 13 year olds. It uses basketball activities and games to provide fun and enjoyable learning and participation experiences. Click here to go to Kiwi Hoops. Talented young players can compete at Basketball New Zealand Regional Under 13 Championships.

Girls Got Game is a fun and friendly basketball programme for primary and intermediate school age girls. The programme is based on Basketball New Zealand’s Kiwi Hoops programme but is modified to meet the needs and preferences of girls. Girls Got Game aims to introduce more young girls to basketball and encourage them to continue being active and enjoy basketball with their friends. The programme is flexible and can be modified to suit the needs and resources or participants, schools and providers. Visit our Girls Got Game page here. 

The growth and popularity of basketball amongst New Zealand youth of all ethnicities and genders is at an all-time high. It is the number one ranked pastime/ mucking around activity in New Zealand for boys and girls aged between 5 and 18 years (Sport New Zealand Young Peoples Survey, 2011). According to School Sport New Zealand (NZSSSC) figures released in February 2019, basketball is now the second largest sport in the country after a massive 44.9% increase in players this decade. Should this trend continue, basketball will become the number one New Zealand secondary schools sport by the year 2020.

Most schools have social and competitive teams. Basketball New Zealand provides Junior and Secondary School Premierships and the prestigious New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships.

Basketball New Zealand provides National Age Group Championships for talented players from which players are identified for National Talent Programmes and National Age Group Teams.

3X3 is an exciting version of basketball quickly growing in popularity. Many basketball associations run 3X3 competitions and Basketball New Zealand runs the annual 3X3 Quest  Tour.

Basketball is a great sport for adults with Associations around the country offering social and competitive competitions for men and women. To get in contact with your local association please visit our Association Finder page here.