Hunter Primary Care has teamed up with local businesses, Tomago Aluminium, THIRTY3SOUTH Films and Snap Programs to support the Indigenous men's basketball team, Karuah Kinnections.
The team is made up of young men aged 16 to 25-year-olds, who either live at Karuah Mission or have grown up in the area. Players on the Karuah Kinnections team have struggled with unemployment and isolation is a problem. Mental health issues have also been reported as a harsh reality for young people in the area.
The team was formed soon after volunteers responded to a desperate plea for help from Michelle Perry, a Mission elder, deeply concerned about the self-harm and attempted suicide rates among the community's younger members.
Suicide is the leading cause of death for Indigenous children aged 5-17 years. Statistically, Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders aged 15-24 are almost four times more likely to commit suicide than similarly-aged non-Indigenous people.
The young men at Karuah mission are part of a vulnerable community but a shared love of basketball and with the help of some enthusiastic volunteers, has turned them into fearsome players.
The groups of Sponsors are proud supporters of the Karuah Kinnections team Tomago Aluminium is helping-out by supplying 18 pairs of basketball shoes. Hunter Primary Care has worked with local supplier, Black Tracka, to design and create unique Indigenous designed training shorts and shirts for the team. THIRTY3SOUTH Films has created a video for social media to promote further engagement and financial interest to keep the team alive.
Former National Basketball League star Butch Hays from Snap Programs is the team's volunteer coach. Once associated with the Chicago Bulls, Adelaide 36ers, the Illawarra Hawks, the Newcastle Falcons, the North Melbourne Giants and the Canberra Cannons in the NBL, Butch is a 232-game NBL veteran. Butch is also CEO at Snap Programs, a not-for-profit group assisting other organisations and families in supporting both young people and disabled people through a variety of programs.
Since the team formed, Karuah Mission has not reported a single suicide attempt and the general mental health of the young players has improved.
The team completed their first competitive season in 2020, finishing third of the seven teams in the league.
"The great thing, Michelle said, is that everyone wants to play".
The team sport initiative has been incredibly empowering for everyone involved, Michelle noticing that, after a few weeks of training and playing, confidence levels were at an all-time high and mental health issues had tapered-off.
The team is seeking further support to refurbish their basketball court on the Mission in Karuah and also, raising funds for the team to attend training camps. Sponsors will be presenting the gear to the team at a launch event on Tuesday 23rd of February at 4pm at Karuah Mission, where the team will also hold an exhibition knock-out game.
