Albany basketball booming as junior ranks swell

Basketball is booming in Albany with a record number of teams signing up for the 2013-14 Albany Basketball Association season, which tips off later this month.

A total of 161 sides have nominated over the junior and senior ranks, 15 more teams than registered last season.

Most of the growth has been in the junior ranks, with the traditionally combined Year 4 and 5 age groups to be split this season, while six extra teams will compete in the women’s B-grade competition.

Great Southern Grammar has helped boost the numbers, nominating 36 sides for this season, eight more than last year.

Albany Basketball Association president Craig Tester credited the increased interest in the sport to the professional management of the game in Albany.

He said this was highlighted by the success of association teams in regional competitions and the number of players earning State selection.

“I think it’s the way we run the game, it’s professionally run here in Albany,” Tester said.

“The men’s A-grade country week championships we have won the last four years straight.

“Last year was the first year in plenty of years that we had a team in the women’s country championships, (and) Albany won the under-14 boys’ country championships and sent a record amount of players to State representative teams.”

Tester said the rise in junior numbers was vital to the growth of the game locally.

“There is progress and there is strong growth,” he said.

“There’s a lot more younger kids coming in to basketball and we have included more kids’ divisions.”

While there has been a flood of extra registrations in juniors, Tester said there was not much growth in the A-grade competitions.

“Our A-grade has stayed stagnant for the men’s and women’s, but the B-grade is growing,” he said. “I guess you could just put it down to fitness … a lot of guys and ladies want to play B-grade to keep fit over summer.”

Seven women and six men’s teams will compete in the A-grade competition this season, with the Tigers the defending champions in the men’s and Mystics in the women’s.

The girls’ junior development team the Raiders will again field an A-grade side after struggling for numbers in 2012-13.

The new basketball season will start on Tuesday, October 22, with all seven courts at Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre to be used on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.