The Whittlesea City Basketball Association was formed in 1992 with only a few Junior Domestic teams competing in schools in the area. The Competition then moved into the Mill Park Basketball Stadium as soon as it opened in November.
The Junior Domestic then grew and a Senior Domestic Competition which plays Sunday through to Thursday evenings was soon part of the Program. In 1993 the WCBA won the Award from BV for the Greatest Membership Increase.
A few years down the track the Championship Program was formed. We had both Boys and Girls teams, a Women’s WCVIBL team and also a CVIBL Men’s Team. These teams then became part of the Big V Competition.
Today we have approximately 330 Junior Domestic teams, 170 Senior Domestic teams, 24 Junior Championship Teams and 3 Senior Teams that play in the Big V Competition.
In June 1993 the WCBA had their inaugural Junior Tournament with 108 teams. Young Basketballers, aged from U8 to U 20, swarmed around the courts at Mill Park and Diamond Valley. teams came from Eltham, Craigieburn, Whitehorse, Thomastown and Country Victoria. The success of this tournament surprised everyone as we had only been going for 9 months. The tournament continued every year after that and is still going in 2020.
WHITTLESEA – Copy of Article Above
Junior Tournament was a Huge Success
By WARWICK GREEN
IF ANYONE doubted basketball’s burgeoning popularity, they would have been wise to look in on the Whittlesea City Basketball Associations inaugural junior tournament recently.
Young Basketballers swarmed around the courts at Mill Park and Diamond Valley Stadiums over the Queens Birthday Weekend.
Apart from the host teams, boys and girls aged from U8 to U20 came from the Eltham, Craigieburn, Whitehorse and Thomastown Associations as well as Country Victoria.
There were enough Juniors in fact, to field 108 teams, play 400 games (plus Finals) and occupy eight courts from 7.30am – 10.00pm on each of the three days. It is believed the tournament raised about $9000.
Mill Park Stadium manager, Rino Zancan, said “excellent was the only word to describe the tournament’s success”.
I think we surprised a few people with how well organized we were because we (the WCBA) have only been going nine months Zancan said.
Afew people expected us to get egg on our face, but we had a dream run, and that’s full credit to tournament Chairwoman, Pam Hughes, and the organizers.
“Everyone who came had a good time and those that didn’t come, because they wern’t sure, will be there next year.
Zancan said several teams had already re-enlisted to compete next year, and the WCBA expected 200 teams to participate in 1994. He said depending on the future of the Queen’s Birthday holiday, the tournament might be re-scheduled to the middle of the June school holidays.
Co-Ordinator of the Diamond Valley section, Dianne Numa, agreed the tournament went smoothly “ there was no nastiness, no hiccups and no bitchiness.
“You couldn’t really single anyone out for their contribution, there were so many workers, it was a joint effort”, Numa said.
Both Zancan and Numa said a highlight of the weekend had been the “nursery” program for 44 players aged four to six.
Melbourne Tigers NBL players, Dave Simmons and Ray Gordon organises the nursery program and presented trophies and posters to each of the participants.
“Watching the kids play and seeing their determination was probably as exciting as anything during the weekend.” Zancan said.
Numa concurred “whenever the littlies scored it just brought the roof down”.
The winner of the inaugural WCBA junior tournament trophy was the Whitehorse Basketball Association. Its name was the first to be engraved on a mammoth perpetual trophy that even Michael Jordan would struggle to leap in a single bound!
Full Tournament details in sport p.51
The WCBA is considering using seven courts in 1994 to cater for its expanding junior season.
Zancan said the juniors would use the four courts at Mill Park stadium, a court at Mill Park Secondary College, hopefully a court at the Lalor Secondary College and one other court.
“We believe we could probably fill a seventh court because we don’t want to knock the kids back” Zancan said.
A decision is expected this week.
Thomastown Tigers’ Paula Grech (No. 15) drives to the basket during the Whittlesea City Basketball Association’s junior tournament
