STAND TALL ALL STARS MEET HARLEM GLOBETROTTER, HAWKS, AND 36ERS

STAND TALL ALL STARS MEET HARLEM GLOBETROTTER, HAWKS, AND 36ERS

Just a few weeks ago, a group of high school students from diverse backgrounds came together through a round of try-outs to create the Charity Bounce Stand Tall All Stars 2018 team. The Stand Tall All Stars program is designed to provide access to ‘out of reach’ opportunities in the basketball world and to support players beyond the on-court competitions to achieve off the court outcomes related to education, employment, health & wellbeing, and professional basketball pathways. This year’s All Stars team is made up of young men aged 14-17 from diverse cultural backgrounds, including Aboriginal, Lebanese, Turkish, Sudanese, Samoan, Cook Islander/New Zealand, Indian, Sri Lankan & Australian.

 

The team has been training hard in the gym and on the court, improving their basketball skills and learning key lessons about teamwork, discipline and respect as they prepare to represent Charity Bounce in the Newington Classic on January 24 and 25.

 

The games haven’t begun yet but the Stand Tall All Starts 2018 program has already been packed with excitement.  Last week, the students have spent time with former Harlem Globetrotter Tracy Williams. Tracy shared his story, giving real life experience of overcoming challenges and barriers and how important mentors, hard work, and perseverance are key to having a happy and successful life. It was an inspiring talk, leaving the young men with several take-aways to apply to their own lives.

 

This weekend, the Stand Tall All Stars went on an excursion to Wollongong to watch an NBL game between the Wollongong Hawks and the Adelaide 36ers. The Hawks kindly hosted our team and provided a tour of the WIN Entertainment Centre, a visit to the Hawks changing rooms, and the amazing opportunity to train for an hour on the Hawks home floor. After the training session, the team had lunch at the Green Room Café on Wollongong beach, followed by a post lunch soft sand running workout.

 

Later that afternoon, the team attended the Hawks vs 36ers match. Stand Tall Director Cal Bruton organised for the team to meet 36ers Head Coach Joey Wright and Hawks Coach Rob Beveridge, with both coaches taking the time to chat to the team about how they prepare their respective teams, as well as providing some great advice for our upcoming tournament. The young men also got to spend time with former NBA player and 36ers star Josh Childress and Hawks captain and Charity Bounce ambassador Kevin White. Everyone had a great time as the athletes both provided some great advice to the team.

 

The Charity Bounce Stand Tall All stars team is led by Head Coach Eban Hyams, who is playing with the Indian Professional League and former NBL player, Assistant Coach Mahesh Padmanabhan, who has recently played in the Indian Professional League and been training with the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks players, and Cal Bruton (Stand Tall Program Director, and basketball legend).