Jan
18
2017
STAND TALL ALL STARS GEAR UP FOR ACTION
The Stand Tall All Stars are back in action after a team was selected at a recent tryout in Auburn. The team is now in full training to compete in the upcoming Newington Classic, where Charity Bounce was invited to join their annual tournament. Charity Bounce’s Program Partnerships Manager Sandra Gugger accepted the invitation after getting Charity Bounce’s first ever Stand Tall All Stars team a place as an invitational team at the Sydney School Shootout last October.
The All Stars team is made up of youth aged from 13 to 17 from diverse cultural backgrounds including – Nigerian/Maltese, Indian, Syrian, Burmese, Vietnamese/Chinese, Maori, Sierra Leone, and Sudanese. They have now taken to the court to prepare for the tournament having only formed together as a team 2 ½ weeks prior to the event. Most of the players had not met each other before the tryout but with the emphasis on inclusiveness, team attitude and mutual respect the team have already formed a bond which is becoming stronger every day both on and off the court.
The Team Director, Bret Mactavish, who is a former NBA and NBL executive, brought in the popular and experienced Stand Tall coach Eban Hyams, who was supported by Coach Mahesh Padmanabhan, both Indian born but Australian raised professional basketballers to lead the team for the tournament. Together they have been able to impart their basketball knowledge to the Stand Tall All Stars players and successfully build a competitive team in a very short amount of time. The ability of the players has been exceptional so far, with huge learning curves about themselves as individuals and what is achievable growing with each training session.
The Newington Classic is to be played on the 23rd and 24th January so keep your eyes out for the Stand Tall All Stars as they make the most of the opportunity.
Stand Tall All Stars training for the Newington Classic from Charity Bounce on Vimeo.
Charity Bounce is a not for profit organisation that exists to inspire positive change to overcome disadvantage for individuals and communities. With a focus on Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders and Culturally Diverse communities, including newly arrived refugees we aim to move people toward a more positive future through the development of sports, the arts, health, education and employment focused social programs. The programs are delivered in partnership with professional athletes to motivate change and inspire.
