Basketball New Zealand and Basketball Hawke’s Bay have installed the third release of brand-new hoops as part of the ‘Hoops in Schools’ initiative.
New Zealand junior representative Rosalia Samia and Tall Black Jarrod Kenny were onsite to help officially open the courts yesterday and to take local students through ‘Kiwi Hoops’ drills and skills.
Mayfair Schools and Tamatea High School are two of three recipients already having their hoops put to use, while Kimi Ora School is set to have theirs installed later this month.
Mayfair School Principal Ricardo Fox says the baskets have been a hit with both his pupils and the locals in the area and are inspiring hoop dreams with some imagining themselves as future Tall Ferns and Tall Blacks.
“The hoops have been a revelation. The kids cannot get enough of them and there are community members coming down outside of school hours making the most of the new resource.
“Our old hoops were archaic and what ‘Hoops in Schools’ has done is provide our young ones with the opportunity to have instant access and helps get them moving.”
Break time runarounds and after-school shooting contests have been the most frequent activities on the courts, but the schools are also using their new hoops as part of their curriculum.
Some of the schools have incorporated basketball into their physical education classes, saying it not only helps improve functional movement and hand-eye coordination but also introduces their pupils to a game they may never have taken up otherwise.
Basketball Hawke’s Bay General Manager Chris McIvor says the new facilities will only amplify the popularity of basketball in the region.
“Whenever any new hoops go up, we see a flux of people getting to them and playing.
“The difference between hoops at parks and those in schools is that kids are using their school’s ones every day, and the more they play the more they fall in love with it.
“We’ll continue to work with the three schools to ensure those interested in playing basketball are given all the other resources they need to excel and have fun.”
Basketball is one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing pastimes and is currently the second-most participated sport in secondary school. Young Kiwis seemingly can’t get enough of the game, which has resulted in an increased demand for adequate facilities.
The Hoops in Schools project’s first two instalments were in South Auckland (2018) and Tauranga (March 2020), with each region receiving 24 hoops across 12 different schools.
Basketball New Zealand Chief Executive Iain Potter says the call for more hoops is a good problem to have and he is working to best meet the requests.
“The Hoops in Schools programme has been wonderfully supported by the likes of the Lion Foundation. They see that their investment is resulting in great community experiences.
“We know the first two installations further North have resulted in a big bump in basketball participation at those schools. Kids want to play the game; they just need to be given the opportunity.”
Tamatea High School Deputy Principal Nigel Groom says his school and local community and very appreciative that they have been chosen to receive the hoops.
“We’re a small school and the quality of the hoops that have been provided would’ve taken us an arm and a leg to fund off our own bat.
“The impact they have had on our students and locals is already visible, and the beauty of the courts is that they’ll be used by the next generation as well.”
If other Associations or Councils wish to find out more about this project in the hope of getting ‘Hoops in Schools’ up and running in their region, they can talk to Daniel Dawick at Basketball New Zealand.
Hawke’s Bay schools that benefited from Basketball New Zealand’s Hoops in Schools project (installed in May & June 2020):
- Mayfair School
- Tamatea High School
- Kimi Ora School
Tauranga schools that benefited from Basketball New Zealand’s Hoops in Schools project (installed in March 2020):
- Te Kura Mana Maori o Matahi
- Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kura Kokiri
- Te Puke Primary
- Arataki Primary School
- Greerton Village School
- Te Kura o Matapihi
- Murupara Area School
- Edgecumbe School
- Taneatua Primary
- Gate Pa School
- Welcome Bay School
- Woodlands Primary School
South Auckland schools that benefited from Basketball New Zealand’s Hoops in Schools project (installed May 2018):
- Homai School
- Jean Batten School
- Finlayson Park School
- Leabank Primary School
- Roscommon School
- Randwick Park School
- Wymondley Road Primary School
- Rowandale School
- Manurewa West School
- Clendon Park School
- Manurewa South School
- Weymouth Primary School
Photo & Video Credit: Roshan Uelese
