WELCOME TO MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL AUSTRALIA
Midnight Basketball is a national social inclusion programme to help youth identify and embrace positive opportunities. Dinner, compulsory lifeskills workshops and tournament basketball games are run in stadiums on Saturday nights from 7.30pm till midnight, providing a safe and motivating environment.
Our first Midnight Basketball program was launched in Redfern Sydney in 2007 and was such a success the program spread nationally. Midnight Basketball is open to youth aged 12 to 18 years.
NEW Download Midnight Basketball Australia Newsletter
THE PROGRAM
Midnight Basketball Communities run the tournament twice each year for 8 weeks per tournament. It runs on Saturday nights between 7.30pm and Midnight. Tournament nights include:
Volunteer Involvement and Briefing: The Tournament Manager briefs all volunteers and youth workers, professional referees, security, police, bus drivers, and many more – typically around 15 volunteers per night. The Tournament Manager briefs all volunteers and youth workers, professional referees, security, police, bus drivers, and many more – typically around 15 volunteers per night. Many of these volunteers will not have previously engaged with the youth participants so brings great opportunities to both parties.
Some key objectives: engagement of youth particpants with the wider community, involving community members directly with youth in their community, volunteer support.
Dinner: In order to stay focussed and energetic for the night ahead, players arrive at 7:30pm and are fed a nutritious meal.
Some key objectives: nutrition messages, team building, communication skills, courtesy and etiquette, getting to know each other through dinner with team mats, team manages, and other community volunteers.
Workshop: In keeping with our motto “No Workshop, No Jump Shot”, players must attend the workshop in order to participate in the basketball competition. Building on essential life skills, these compulsory life-skills workshops deal with real and relevant issues and can include:
- Nutrition & Health
- Substance, Emotional and Physical Abuse including Self-Harm
Impulse and Anger Control
- Conflict Resolution and Communication Skills
- Decision Making and Problem Solving Skills
- Self Esteem and Confidence Building
- Making Positive Choices
- Personal and Community Engagement Skills
- Cultural Development and Awareness
- Financial Literacy
- Job Readiness
Some key objectives: using this key learning opportunity to undertake key learning and development workshops; providing an opportunity for the youth participants to identify skills they would like to develop; involvement of content and training specialists; and to instill learning as an enjoyable and enriching experience.
Basketball: With the workshop complete - the basketball competition begins with players participating in at least 3 matches of basketball per night. Basketball is a crucial element to the success of the program due to its unique qualities as a team sport.
Some key objectives: build leadership, team building and interpersonal skills; rules and their role in life skills development; and the benefits of activity, wellbeing and responsibility.
Midnight Bus Home: Safely Home: Finally at the end of the night, a bus takes the players safely home to their front door, happy and exhausted.
For current locations, refer Locations Home Page.
ENROL AS A PLAYER OR VOLUNTEER IN A TOURNAMENT
Registration is open to all local 12 to 18 year olds and costs nothing to enter. If you are interested in either playing or volunteering, please email your local tournament on the email addresses on the locations page and ask for a registration form.
Current tournaments listed on our Location's Home Page. This is updated as Tournament start dates are confirmed each term.
MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL IN YOUR COMMUNITY
If you’d like to see Midnight Basketball in your community, please contact Tess White on:
Copyright Midnight Basketball Australia 2007