Mark Douglas (left) and Pip Johnston have started offering early morning skills sessions once a week to cater for the huge growth in youth basketball. Photo Erin TaskerThe numbers of kids wanting to play basketball is soaring and two Ashburton coaches are determined to keep those young players on court, and getting better.

Mark Douglas and Pip Johnston have started offering weekly early morning training sessions for term two to help develop the skills of young players and if the numbers are good, they’ll keep getting out of bed early to ensure the future of the sport they love is in good hands.

Douglas said the number of kids playing basketball at Ashburton College has pretty much doubled in the past couple of years.

“I think we almost accommodated about 95 per cent of the kids who turned up into teams, whether that be A grade blokes or social level for the senior C team.

“But it means they are still balling and that’s what they want to do, so that’s awesome,” Douglas said.

Ashburton College this year had seven basketball teams, ranging from the senior boys and girls who played in the Canterbury secondary schools’ Whelan Trophy and Thomson Trophy competitions respectively, down to the junior girls who defeated Cashmere High School in the first game of their premier intermediate grade (Year 9 and 10) competition a couple of weeks ago.

“In the past I think they have had three or four teams and last year we saw growth to maybe six or seven teams, and then six or seven this year with numbers to burn, with a couple we couldn’t fit in,” Douglas said.

“There’s growing pains but that’s why we want to offer them some options, if they want to train.”

Douglas and Johnston would hold the morning training sessions for intermediate and high school aged kids every Thursday morning at the EA Networks Centre, from 6.30am until 7.30am, at a cost of $5 per week per player.

If the numbers were good, they’d look to continue into term three.

“We thought, why not? There might be some kids out there who are keen to ball, and we are keen to help them out,” Douglas said.

“There might be 20 kids that turn up, or there might be five, I don’t care so long as they are keen.”

Ten youngsters turned up at last week’s opening Thursday morning session, which Douglas said would be a great way for young basketballers to start their day.

“You feel like you’ve done something, like you’ve achieved something, before a lot of other people are out of bed.”

The number of youngsters who are playing basketball in high schools around New Zealand had grown by 27 per cent over the past five years, Douglas said.

“Basketball is on a sprint to become number one between the next 18 months and two years.”

Growth was great, but it did lead to other issues.

“Our growing pain at college level is referees, because in a small town everyone who is involved with basketball plays,” Douglas said.

So the hunt was also on for anyone who might be keen to become a basketball referee, because there was no game without referees.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 23 May 2018