Sport
Shepparton teens represent Victoria at recent National Indigenous Basketball Tournament
Two Shepparton youngsters had the trip of a lifetime in April, travelling to the Gold Coast to compete in the 2022 National Indigenous Basketball Tournament.
The inaugural tournament was run by Indigenous Basketball Australia, an organisation founded by NBA star Patty Mills, and saw teams from across the nation participate in fun, competitive basketball.
Representing Victoria, Shepparton’s Kady Harrison competed in the under-14 girls’ team, while Tanner Armstrong played in the under-14 boys’ side.
The duo took on teams from Western Australia, Queensland North, Queensland South, South Australia, Northern Territory metro, NSW and Torres Strait in their respective competitions.
Kady, who attends Worawa Aboriginal Boarding College, spends time in Shepparton on school holidays and plays both football and netball with her school; however, she explained basketball was her favourite.
She said the tournament was a really good opportunity, with it not only enjoyable but also her first trip to Queensland.
“At first I was a bit scared because I didn’t know how I was going to go,” Kady said.
“And then once I met all the people I was actually really happy that I got to meet other people from other states.”
Kady thanked her coaches for helping her learn more about the sport and said it felt good to represent Shepparton on the national stage.
“It was really good because after the game I got a lot comments and asked how it was and if it was good and that,” she said.
“I had a lot of fun, it’s good that Patty Mills is doing it so we can connect with other people.”
Tanner Armstrong is an equally gifted young athlete, currently playing for and captaining the under-14 boys’ football team at Rumbalara.
Tanner said it was a good experience to play at the tournament.
“There was plenty of people up there and I made heaps of new friends and got to know people from around different states,” he said.
“That was pretty good, we had a chance to get gold and ended up losing that game but we had a chance to get bronze and we won that game.”
Preferring to defend rather than attack on the basketball court, Tanner also participates in the Goulburn Murray Football Academy.
“It was my first time ever representing a state in sport, so it was a good first time,” he said.
Tanner’s boys’ team finished third in the tournament, while Kady and the girls’ side ended up in sixth position.
Both youngsters were full of praise for Patty Mills and the Mills family for organising the tournament, with the duo also thanking their coaches and parents for the hard work they put in.
Tanner particularly enjoyed learning from assistant coach Nathan Lovett-Murray, with the youngster aiming to play AFL himself some day.
“It was good that he (Mills) made the Indigenous program and it was really nice being a part of it,” Tanner said.
“It opens up opportunities for Indigenous kids with their basketball as well, which is good.”