A group of residents are hosting basketball sessions at the Action Centre this school term in an attempt to re-establish the Katikati Basketball Club for the community.
Katikati residents Maddy Kilford, Sheanna Chadwick and Josh Hunt last week began hosting the sessions to gauge interest on reviving the club.
“There was a basketball club in Katikati about 10 years ago. It was run by Julie Aylwin and Jeanette O’Brien, who had sons playing the sport,” said Kilford. “Once they left, it kind of fizzled out. Girls’ basketball went for a couple more years then fizzled out as well.”
Kilford and Chadwick had both played in the girls’ team when they attended Katikati College and still hold a love for the sport.
“Now we’ve both got fulltime jobs we have time to give something back to the community – so we’re keen to get the club up and running again,” said Kilford.
Katikati College has a seniors boys’ team playing in the Tauranga basketball league but no girls’ teams, and the women were keen to change this.
They approached the college with their idea to revive the club and secured use of the Action Centre for this term’s sessions. Kilford and Chadwick are taking the girls’ session.
On Wednesdays, an adults’ scrimmage is on from 6.30pm for those 18-plus. People can just turn up at Katikati College Action Centre and entry is $2.
“This is to get the wider community involved in the sport – and this could potentially lead into a team entering a league or tournaments in future,” said Kilford.
On Thursdays, Kilford and Chadwick take a girls’ basketball session at the Action Centre for Years 6-12 from 5pm-6.30pm. The event is free and all abilities were welcome.
Sheanna Chadwick, youth player Chloe Allen, and Maddy Kilford at the first girls’ basketball session at the Action Centre for Years 6-12 on October 16. Photo / Merle Cave
On Fridays, a 3X3 boys’ competition is at Action Centre for Years 5-13 from 3.30pm-7.30pm. Entry costs $10.
“This is run by Josh Hunt,” said Kilford.
Chadwick said they had initiated the three groups for this school term and would “see how it goes”.
“We just wanted to see what kind of numbers we’d get in terms of the girls’ sessions, then we’ll look to start a team next year based on interest.”
Kilford and Chadwick would like to enter a girls’ team into the Tauranga basketball league – which is played at Mercury Baypark – next year in Terms 2 and 3.
Hunt would like to expand the senior boys’ team playing in the Tauranga league – if there is interest.
Chadwick said the focus is on getting youth involved – and currently they’re trying to re-establish Katikati Basketball Club “on the back of the school”. However, youth who don’t attend Katikati College can get involved.
According to Basketball New Zealand, basketball is the fastest growing sport at youth level in New Zealand.
Moreover, with Steven Adams – a New Zealand professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) – now a household name in Aotearoa, and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) hosting 30 teams, the popularity of the sport is growing again, said Chadwick.
“Kids are kind of watching that a little bit more now, and getting interested,” said Chadwick. “Whereas when I started playing, I never watched basketball. I just followed my friends to trials and fell in love with it. Now [the sport] it’s more on social media, which is gaining the interest of youth.”
A bunch of girls listen to Maddy Kilford and Sheanna Chadwick talk basketball skills at the Thursday night session for Years 6-12 on October 16. Photo / Merle Cave
Kilford believed that travel was a barrier to local families from entering the sport. “What I think deters youth from here is that you have to travel to play,” said Kilford.
“If you want to play for a Tauranga-based basketball club you have to travel for trainings and games.”
A local example was a boy who travelled to Tauranga regularly for trainings plus for two 10-minute games per week.
“So we want to [set up this club] to make it more accessible for Katikati people but also potentially those from Waihi, Waihī Beach, Pahoia, Ōmokoroa as well,” said Chadwick.
“We want to create a centre of basketball that people can enjoy without having to drive to town.”
Kilford also wanted to make the sport available year-found instead of the traditional school Terms 2 and 3.
“We don’t want it to be something that just happens in winter. We want to encourage people to train throughout the year, so when you come into winter [to enter a team in a league] you’re still warm and not starting from scratch,” she said.
“That’s why we’ve started this in Term 4 – to see who is interested – then Term 1 we’ll get back into it and hopefully carry on, to enter teams into the youth league at Mercury Baypark come Term 2.”
From an initial meeting a few months ago between those interested, a new logo had been created and an internal club page “where people can be added, for discussions on how to move things forward for now because this is very early stages”, said Chadwick.
Kilford said they will need people to help run the club – and that includes off-court roles too.
“We will need more volunteers – as we still need to form a committee and have people volunteer for roles such as coaches, umpires, team managers, etc.”
To get in touch about girls’ basketball or volunteering for the re-establishment of Katikati Basketball Club, email: To register for the Friday night 3X3 boys’ competition, contact Katikati College.