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A new league which is hoped will reinvigorate the regional basketball scene will tip-off in Tamworth this weekend.
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The Northern Inland Basketball League is a regionally-based development competition for junior players, and is hoped will boost participation numbers across the region.
Involving five associations - Tamworth, Armidale, Inverell, Glen Innes and Gunnedah - an introductory mega gala day will be held at the Tamworth Sports Dome on Saturday with further rounds to follow in different towns around the region before a cross-over round to finish back in Tamworth on November 19.
Tamworth Basketball Association president Scott Ward has been a driving force in getting the league off the ground. It's an idea he's been "thinking about" for about 15 years.
"Tamworth basketball has always been quite strong, but the towns within the region have dropped off in terms of their involvement in basketball," Ward explained.
"And for me, I'm passionate about the sport and so I just want to see growth of the sport wherever we can."
"I spoke to the CEO of Basketball NSW about it, and she saw that (NIBL) as a good opportunity in this region to try and get something happening."
Open to boys and girls aged 9-16, Ward said he hopes this year will be the first of "many years of this program operating".
Up to Thursday night, he said, there was 115 players registered to participate in the gala day which was "a pretty good number", especially considering "most of them are traveling from outside (Tamworth)".
The gala day will incorporate skills sessions with guest coaches including Basketball NSW Regional Development Officer for Northern NSW, Cristi Jufferman, followed by games.
And it's not just the players getting an opportunity to upskill.
There will also be free learn to referee and introduction to coaching courses on offer on Saturday.
The funding for the program also includes subsidising free bus travel from around the region to Tamworth.
There will be busses running from Boggabri, Armidale, Glen Innes and Inverell, picking up at points on the way.
"The idea is we don't want people travelling all the time," Ward said.
"It's one of the big bugbears in regional areas is having to do heaps of travel.
"Yes, this first one's here in Tamworth, and that's just because we've got the largest facility and we can cope with the most people in a short period of time but beyond this, we want to try and take it out to those four towns, and deliver things locally so that people aren't burdened with having to learn with traveling all the time."
It will be a busy weekend for the TBA with the first trials for the senior men, and junior Thunderbolt sides on Sunday.
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