Sixty young people playing basketball on a Saturd=
ay night=20
could be a catalyst for cutting youth crime and eliminating antisocial=20
behaviour.
The Illawarra will follow in the footsteps of communities like Redfern,=
=20
Campbelltown, Armidale and Dubbo by rolling out its own Midnight Basketbal=
l=20
program at Berkeley next week.
The program targets youth aged 12 to 18 in the Wollongong and Shellharb=
our=20
council areas with the aim of keeping them off the streets and out of trou=
ble.
Tournament manager Bob Purcell said it was a common misconception the p=
rogram=20
meant teens would be walking on to the basketball court at midnight.
"We will have 60 young people, divided into six teams. The night starts=
=20
around 7.30pm with dinner. Everyone participates in a workshop and plays a=
t=20
least three matches throughout the night," he said.
The events finish about 11pm and kids are taken home by bus. If the eve=
nts=20
finished earlier, organisers believe some young people could end up back o=
n the=20
streets.
"Often youth services are not available on a Saturday night," Mr Purcel=
l=20
said.
"We want to target bored young people and get them focusing on a positi=
ve=20
option."
The program will run for eight weeks with the same group. The aim is to=
hold=20
four tournaments during a two-year pilot program.
Ten to 15 volunteers are required each night to drive buses, operate=20
scoreboards and assist with supervision. Spectators are welcome.
The motto of the program is "no workshop, no jumpshot", meaning partici=
pants=20
have to attend the evening workshop if they want to get out on the basketb=
all=20
court.
The workshops will cover life skills such as self-esteem, conflict=20
resolution, impulse and anger control, health and well-being, financial li=
teracy=20
and job readiness.
The Wollongong and Shellharbour community drug action teams applied to =
join=20
the program and have the support of the councils, health and youth service=
s,=20
police and community groups.
Midnight Basketball will be launched next Friday ahead of the first=20
tournament at Berkeley Sports Stadium on Saturday. To sign up or become a=
=20
volunteer, email wollongong@midnightbasketball.org .au