MIDNIGHT basketball has been a huge success in ke=
eping=20
kids off the streets during the innovative program=E2=80=99s first few wee=
ks in=20
Tamworth.
The lure of a basketball competition has quickly proven to be an effect=
ive=20
way of drawing dozens of teenagers into a safe, social environment on Satu=
rday=20
nights.=20
The =E2=80=9Cmidnight=E2=80=9D in the program=E2=80=99s name comes from=
the fact it is a weekly=20
program that keeps kids on the courts until midnight.=20
Before playing, the teens are given dinner, and they are taken home aft=
er=20
their games are over.=20
Program co-ordinator Marg Hombsch from Joblink Plus said the program wa=
s=20
currently running at a capacity of 80 people.=20
Ms Hombsch said a major key to the program=E2=80=99s success had been d=
own to=20
stirring the boys=E2=80=99 competitive nature.=20
It gave the teenagers a safe=20
activity to keep them occupied.
Many of the program=E2=80=99s participants came from disadvantaged back=
grounds.=20
Ms Hombsch said the workshops had been made interactive, with the boys=
=20
completing team-building exercises.=20
=E2=80=9CWe are really proud to report that we have not had any behavio=
ral problems=20
from the youth participating in the program, which has surprised a lot of=
=20
people,=E2=80=9D she said.
The competitive nature of the basketball competition had brought out th=
e best=20
in the players, Ms Hombsch said.=20
=E2=80=9CEmphasis is on co-operation and on operating as a team, where =
one=E2=80=99s=20
behaviour has the potential to adversely affect the whole team=E2=80=99s p=
erformance and=20
their chance of winning the tournament,=E2=80=9D she said.
=E2=80=9CTeams are competing not only for points on the basketball cour=
t, but also=20
points in the workshops based on participation and=20
co-operation, and these points affect their overall performance.
=E2=80=9CThe players are responding really well, taking up the challeng=
e to not only=20
play hard but respect the rules of the tournament, which ensures everyone =
has a=20
great time.=E2=80=9D
The program has been run in a number of other towns with great success.=
=20
Midnight Basketball in Tamworth has been financially supported by Jobli=
nk=20
Plus, the Department of Families Housing Community Services Indigenous Aff=
airs,=20
and a large number of local organisations.=20
It has received extensive in-kind support from Tamworth businesses.=20
The program organisers expected Midnight Basketball would run again in=
=20
Tamworth.=20
Midnight Basketball was first launched as a program in inner Sydney in =
2006.=20