hogwash61
Years ago
Is basketball kidding itself about the health of its sport?
Can I ask where do all the kids go after U18's? Monday and Wednesday night competitions?
I read an article this week where Old Xavier have 7 Senior Football has 7 teams in the VAFA and have over 300 registered players. What
Are the people at the top in our sport quoting the party line and failing to see reality?
HO
Years ago
Hogwash ... hogwash.
There was considerable publicity in the media a couple of years back that basketball is the most played team sport in Victoria.
Not sure what your point is. Old Xavier have a lot of teams. So?
hogwash,
Dandenong has over 1000 teams or close to 8000 members.
And Franston, Knox and Kilsyth are larger.
HO
Years ago
Kilsyth have just over 1000 from memory, no one else does. Dandenong more like 800 I think and Frankston 600 or so. Still, you have Knox close to Kilsyth in numbers and Nunawading about Dandenong's size so enormous playing numbers in the East of Melbourne.
anon
Years ago
You missing the original point, most of those 1000 teams are under 18 and lower, where do they go after that?.
What is the end game?, and thats before we discuss the merits of rep and where that leads for 98% of those kids.
HO
Years ago
Anon.
Establish some facts around that. I have heard before that senior domestic basketball in melbourne is actually very healthy in terms of numbers and that the junior/senior ratio is pretty good.
All sports (AFAIK) have a large drop off from junior participation to senior. Basketball is a sport where lots of people play for a long time.
Is Junior Basketball healthy? Well this is a very complex question and has varying degrees of answers regarding health from state to state and perspectives from within.
Firstly how do you define "Healthy?" Is participation numbers a true measure of health.?
From a Victorian perspective i've never known the sport to be in such a volatile state as it is at the moment.
Most of the biggest clubs are embroiled in some kind of significant controversy be it financial management, nepotism, political agendas, power struggles and poor management.
Does that impact playing numbers? Who knows, but its turning a lot of good people off the sport permanently so ultimately the long term impacts will be negative.
I'm pretty sure if you look a social basketball team numbers you will see basketball is alive and kicking as a great team sport.
On the other hand at a regimented - coached and higher pay to play system of associations numbers probably havent changed to much over the last few years to be honest, commitment to higher level club participation drops of U18's because kids have study commitments. They usually come back in 23's or social leagues once Yr 11-12 pressures are gone.
perspective
Years ago
The second best football team in the world yesterday had one goal at half time and had kicked more out of bounds on the full than goals.
The basketball equivalent would be an NBA final where at half time one side had thrown more airballs than knocked threes. But hey Xavier has 300 players great job!
Your sport is such an impressive spectacle I know cause channel 7 told me so.
Lots of money, lots and lots of adverts, hawthorn players popping pingers on 2.9 strikes, essendon drug cheats, freo can't kick strait, don't get me started with the hapless D's and too many overpaid cashed up bogans. Couz smoked crack for years and never got caught, Santos has a stricter drug policy for its mine workers than the AFL.
Long live footie!
(unless you live in queensland or NSW where league is the game.)
Unless you live anywhere else in the world, where they know nothing at all about footie?!
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