By Jessica Micallef
Sunbury girls can now get their head in the game and learn a few basketball tricks.
The Sunbury Braves Basketball Club received $2500 as part of a VicHealth Active Club grant to fund a free eight-week basketball introductory program.
Club secretary Brianna Difalco said the aim of the program was to increase female participation in sport.
“Overall numbers are down, especially in our local basketball club,” she said. “We are a small club and we have no girls. We are just all males which is a little sad.
“We came up with the initiative to put together this eight-week program for girls aged between
9 and 12 years who have an interest in playing basketball, or are too embarrassed or too shy or too intimidated to go into a competitive team.
“We’re giving them the opportunity to learn about the game and develop basic skills in a girls-only environment.
“It’ll be friendly, supportive, there’ll be female coaches, they can make new friends, get exercise and hopefully gain some confidence in the game.
“We hope in the end, we have enough girls to create a team to enter them in the winter 2020 season.”
The club received the money in November last year and it will be used to purchase equipment, training singlets and uniforms.
The program will begin in term one and will run for one hour a week. For more details and to join the program: sunburybrave@outlook.com
