Midnight Basketball
0:00:27.650,0:00:31.800
I want to play for a team and this is a good
chance. I’ve always wanted to play for a
0:00:31.800,0:00:32.180
basketball team.
0:00:32.180,0:00:35.110
Midnight Basketball is a program that has
run in the Northern Hemisphere for a long,
0:00:35.110,0:00:38.320
long time very successfully.
We found out about it and brought it into
0:00:38.320,0:00:43.730
Redfern in Sydney about five years ago and
subsequently expanded it around the country.
0:00:43.730,0:00:48.620
You get to play basketball until midnight
and, just like, it’s a great fitness sport.
0:00:48.620,0:00:51.120
I think it just helps integrate them young
people from diverse cultural backgrounds
0:00:51.120,0:00:55.640
into the area and gets them accustomed to
some of our cultures here and the way we run
0:00:55.640,0:00:56.370
day to day.
0:00:56.370,0:01:01.250
When I arrived in Australia it was really
cold. It was really different from Africa
0:01:01.250,0:01:07.250
because Africa is really hot. In Africa they
have a lot of war and criminals there.
0:01:07.250,0:01:11.280
Some of these guys have come from pretty hard
sorts of backgrounds so something like this
0:01:11.280,0:01:14.680
helps them fit in that little bit easier and
breaks down a lot of barriers I guess.
0:01:14.680,0:01:21.170
It makes it a lot of fun and I think that’s
the best way they can join into the community
0:01:21.170,0:01:22.470
anyway.
0:01:30.470,0:01:33.470
I heard from my friend so we decided to do
it (join Midnight Basketball) for fun and
0:01:33.910,0:01:36.500
just catch up on a Friday night.
0:01:36.500,0:01:42.660
Basically we got a group of guys together
involving some police officers, some local
0:01:42.660,0:01:47.040
councilors and those sorts of people. I think
they really saw the need for this particular
0:01:47.040,0:01:50.970
program in this area particularly it being
a very multicultural sort of area.
0:01:50.970,0:01:55.720
One night my brother came home after midnight
and told me about it. I didn’t know it was
0:01:55.720,0:01:59.580
on but after he told me about it I was interested
in trying out.
0:01:59.580,0:02:05.060
One of my teachers told me that there was
Midnight Basketball happening so I was interested
0:02:05.060,0:02:09.979
because I like basketball. So I give it try
and I really like it.
0:02:09.979,0:02:15.920
One of my friends told me that there was basketball
going on so I was very excited. I wanted to
0:02:15.920,0:02:22.920
see how they were going and how they play and then I
came.
0:02:26.920,0:02:29.920
I made a lot of friends as you can see
0:02:30.020,0:02:34.920
It helps with my skill at basketball. Getting along
with people
0:02:35.020,0:02:38.920
Besides coming in and working with them they are tremdously
talented kids. Often these kids are very athletic.
0:02:39.020,0:02:43.920
Much more importantly from a mentoring perspective there is
so much that these kids are missing our on it their lives
0:02:44.020,0:02:49.920
lots of little things like if you are going to move into a
stage which we call job readiness
0:02:50.020,0:02:53.920
there are lots of things that you need to be able to do like
meet someone look them in the eye shake their hand
0:02:54.020,0:02:57.920
feel like they are not looking through you. Feel like they
are addressing you and that's a confidence thing to.
0:02:58.020,0:03:00.620
but it's also a life skill
0:03:41.989,0:03:41.989
It was really hard because we had to get used
to a new culture and the way that people live here.
0:03:50.059,0:03:54.459
Here in Australia is different from where
I come from. Here we’ve got to go to school
0:03:54.669,0:03:56.260
and then get a good job.
0:03:56.260,0:04:01.010
Probably transport is the most difficult for
them especially when they are fairly new to
0:04:01.010,0:04:04.889
the country. That’s probably the big thing
that they struggle with so buses are very
0:04:04.889,0:04:07.579
important in getting them to and from the
venue.
0:04:07.579,0:04:13.549
The other one can be some of their family
customs -issues they may have at home. (I
0:04:13.549,0:04:19.650
found from here at the venue) obviously cost
is the big thing that can factor programs.
0:04:19.650,0:04:23.440
We find that with all the barriers that get
raised, confidence is the big one.
0:04:23.440,0:04:28.940
If these kids can feel like they can adhere
to the discipline requirements in this very
0:04:28.940,0:04:34.760
structured environment they can move so easily
into community sport which is a terrific outcome.
0:04:34.760,0:04:40.530
I couldn’t speak English. I couldn’t understand
what people were saying and I couldn’t communicate
0:04:40.530,0:04:41.580
with other people.
0:04:41.580,0:04:48.580
Some of the kids in particular find it hard
to (get forms) signed at home. With the forms
0:04:48.639,0:04:52.970
generally printed in English some of them
have to get translation for some of the forms
0:04:52.970,0:04:56.699
so sometimes it can be a two or three week
period where we have to constantly remind
0:04:56.699,0:05:01.569
players ‘hey we need your forms – parents
or guardians to fill those out and get them
0:05:01.569,0:05:06.259
back to us’.
0:05:06.259,0:05:13.259
Actually my mum can’t speak English. That
will mean that you will have to contact me
0:05:15.889,0:05:22.889
so then I can tell my mum what is going on.
Then I can explain back to you what she says.
0:05:24.539,0:05:29.509
My mum doesn’t like me going out much but
after she knew it was basketball she said
0:05:29.509,0:05:34.280
I could come and I also come with my brother
which helps.
0:05:34.280,0:05:38.060
Parent’s support is definitely a big factor.
A lot of them have to bring the kids into
0:05:38.060,0:05:44.580
the venue. So getting them here and even the
support throughout the evening (for the ones
0:05:44.580,0:05:50.210
that are coming in) helping out with things
like scoring or even helping drive buses home
0:05:50.210,0:05:51.620
and that sort of thing is big, big help.
0:05:51.620,0:05:57.139
Midnight Basketball is a free program and
we provide buses home for everyone to their
0:05:57.139,0:06:01.490
front door. This is something that needs to
be addressed through things like car pooling.
0:06:01.490,0:06:06.039
Getting to know the parents - how do you get
to know them? How do you offer? There’s
0:06:06.039,0:06:10.990
lots of car pooling between people who know
each other in communities and I think that’s
0:06:10.990,0:06:16.250
a really important barrier to try and address
and be as practical as you can because it’s
0:06:16.250,0:06:20.240
a big issue.
As far as how we actually target the kids,
0:06:20.240,0:06:25.889
try and talk to council, try and talk to youth
liaisons officers, local police, different
0:06:25.889,0:06:30.139
cultural groups. There are lots of community
service organisations who will be involved
0:06:30.139,0:06:34.819
with these groups and kids so get their advice.
Food is also another important element of
0:06:34.819,0:06:41.240
Midnight Basketball. Dinner is actually provided
because we don’t want anyone to be hungry.
0:06:41.240,0:06:48.240
It is also a great inclusionary way of bringing
in people from the community.
0:06:53.639,0:06:56.990
We sit down at the start of the term with
the Midnight Basketballers and they write
0:06:56.990,0:07:01.379
the code of conduct. We facilitate the process
but they write it.
0:07:01.379,0:07:06.560
It is actually really, really important if
you are going to get a diverse group of kids
0:07:06.560,0:07:11.080
across your community to get involved in the
program that you are running that they take
0:07:11.080,0:07:12.159
ownership of it.
0:07:12.159,0:07:17.680
Let the parents know that it’s something
to do with basketball not just the kids hanging
0:07:17.680,0:07:21.979
around at night. Yeh just let the parents
know beforehand.
0:07:21.979,0:07:25.449
Be as welcoming as you can. Not patronising
but welcoming.
0:07:25.449,0:07:32.449
There are a lot of preconceived ideas especially
about some of the new arrivals.
0:07:38.379,0:07:44.289
I think until you actually have close dealings
with them and see how good a people they really
0:07:44.289,0:07:47.409
are – they’re beautiful people with some
of the stuff that they come out and do.
0:07:47.409,0:07:54.409
(They are) very friendly so you have just
got to get them involved and the rewards overall
0:07:55.050,0:07:59.520
are enormous apart from some of them are actually
fantastic athletes.
0:07:59.520,0:08:03.319
They’ll benefit your club in every single
way anyway.
0:08:03.319,0:08:08.280
Sport is the most terrific structure to bring
people together and we would say to all these
0:08:08.280,0:08:13.199
people who are volunteers that they (the participants)
get so much out of it. They tell us in such
0:08:13.199,0:08:16.550
great heartfelt ways the meaning that sport
is to their lives.
0:08:16.550,0:08:20.849
Helping kids in the community - we just encourage
you to go ahead and do it.
0:08:20.849,0:08:25.240
I always thought that I wasn’t good enough
to join a team and that’s why I never joined
0:08:25.240,0:08:28.060
a team before. I actually want to give it
a try now.
I want to play for a team and this is a good
chance. I’ve always wanted to play for a
0:00:31.800,0:00:32.180
basketball team.
0:00:32.180,0:00:35.110
Midnight Basketball is a program that has
run in the Northern Hemisphere for a long,
0:00:35.110,0:00:38.320
long time very successfully.
We found out about it and brought it into
0:00:38.320,0:00:43.730
Redfern in Sydney about five years ago and
subsequently expanded it around the country.
0:00:43.730,0:00:48.620
You get to play basketball until midnight
and, just like, it’s a great fitness sport.
0:00:48.620,0:00:51.120
I think it just helps integrate them young
people from diverse cultural backgrounds
0:00:51.120,0:00:55.640
into the area and gets them accustomed to
some of our cultures here and the way we run
0:00:55.640,0:00:56.370
day to day.
0:00:56.370,0:01:01.250
When I arrived in Australia it was really
cold. It was really different from Africa
0:01:01.250,0:01:07.250
because Africa is really hot. In Africa they
have a lot of war and criminals there.
0:01:07.250,0:01:11.280
Some of these guys have come from pretty hard
sorts of backgrounds so something like this
0:01:11.280,0:01:14.680
helps them fit in that little bit easier and
breaks down a lot of barriers I guess.
0:01:14.680,0:01:21.170
It makes it a lot of fun and I think that’s
the best way they can join into the community
0:01:21.170,0:01:22.470
anyway.
0:01:30.470,0:01:33.470
I heard from my friend so we decided to do
it (join Midnight Basketball) for fun and
0:01:33.910,0:01:36.500
just catch up on a Friday night.
0:01:36.500,0:01:42.660
Basically we got a group of guys together
involving some police officers, some local
0:01:42.660,0:01:47.040
councilors and those sorts of people. I think
they really saw the need for this particular
0:01:47.040,0:01:50.970
program in this area particularly it being
a very multicultural sort of area.
0:01:50.970,0:01:55.720
One night my brother came home after midnight
and told me about it. I didn’t know it was
0:01:55.720,0:01:59.580
on but after he told me about it I was interested
in trying out.
0:01:59.580,0:02:05.060
One of my teachers told me that there was
Midnight Basketball happening so I was interested
0:02:05.060,0:02:09.979
because I like basketball. So I give it try
and I really like it.
0:02:09.979,0:02:15.920
One of my friends told me that there was basketball
going on so I was very excited. I wanted to
0:02:15.920,0:02:22.920
see how they were going and how they play and then I
came.
0:02:26.920,0:02:29.920
I made a lot of friends as you can see
0:02:30.020,0:02:34.920
It helps with my skill at basketball. Getting along
with people
0:02:35.020,0:02:38.920
Besides coming in and working with them they are tremdously
talented kids. Often these kids are very athletic.
0:02:39.020,0:02:43.920
Much more importantly from a mentoring perspective there is
so much that these kids are missing our on it their lives
0:02:44.020,0:02:49.920
lots of little things like if you are going to move into a
stage which we call job readiness
0:02:50.020,0:02:53.920
there are lots of things that you need to be able to do like
meet someone look them in the eye shake their hand
0:02:54.020,0:02:57.920
feel like they are not looking through you. Feel like they
are addressing you and that's a confidence thing to.
0:02:58.020,0:03:00.620
but it's also a life skill
0:03:41.989,0:03:41.989
It was really hard because we had to get used
to a new culture and the way that people live here.
0:03:50.059,0:03:54.459
Here in Australia is different from where
I come from. Here we’ve got to go to school
0:03:54.669,0:03:56.260
and then get a good job.
0:03:56.260,0:04:01.010
Probably transport is the most difficult for
them especially when they are fairly new to
0:04:01.010,0:04:04.889
the country. That’s probably the big thing
that they struggle with so buses are very
0:04:04.889,0:04:07.579
important in getting them to and from the
venue.
0:04:07.579,0:04:13.549
The other one can be some of their family
customs -issues they may have at home. (I
0:04:13.549,0:04:19.650
found from here at the venue) obviously cost
is the big thing that can factor programs.
0:04:19.650,0:04:23.440
We find that with all the barriers that get
raised, confidence is the big one.
0:04:23.440,0:04:28.940
If these kids can feel like they can adhere
to the discipline requirements in this very
0:04:28.940,0:04:34.760
structured environment they can move so easily
into community sport which is a terrific outcome.
0:04:34.760,0:04:40.530
I couldn’t speak English. I couldn’t understand
what people were saying and I couldn’t communicate
0:04:40.530,0:04:41.580
with other people.
0:04:41.580,0:04:48.580
Some of the kids in particular find it hard
to (get forms) signed at home. With the forms
0:04:48.639,0:04:52.970
generally printed in English some of them
have to get translation for some of the forms
0:04:52.970,0:04:56.699
so sometimes it can be a two or three week
period where we have to constantly remind
0:04:56.699,0:05:01.569
players ‘hey we need your forms – parents
or guardians to fill those out and get them
0:05:01.569,0:05:06.259
back to us’.
0:05:06.259,0:05:13.259
Actually my mum can’t speak English. That
will mean that you will have to contact me
0:05:15.889,0:05:22.889
so then I can tell my mum what is going on.
Then I can explain back to you what she says.
0:05:24.539,0:05:29.509
My mum doesn’t like me going out much but
after she knew it was basketball she said
0:05:29.509,0:05:34.280
I could come and I also come with my brother
which helps.
0:05:34.280,0:05:38.060
Parent’s support is definitely a big factor.
A lot of them have to bring the kids into
0:05:38.060,0:05:44.580
the venue. So getting them here and even the
support throughout the evening (for the ones
0:05:44.580,0:05:50.210
that are coming in) helping out with things
like scoring or even helping drive buses home
0:05:50.210,0:05:51.620
and that sort of thing is big, big help.
0:05:51.620,0:05:57.139
Midnight Basketball is a free program and
we provide buses home for everyone to their
0:05:57.139,0:06:01.490
front door. This is something that needs to
be addressed through things like car pooling.
0:06:01.490,0:06:06.039
Getting to know the parents - how do you get
to know them? How do you offer? There’s
0:06:06.039,0:06:10.990
lots of car pooling between people who know
each other in communities and I think that’s
0:06:10.990,0:06:16.250
a really important barrier to try and address
and be as practical as you can because it’s
0:06:16.250,0:06:20.240
a big issue.
As far as how we actually target the kids,
0:06:20.240,0:06:25.889
try and talk to council, try and talk to youth
liaisons officers, local police, different
0:06:25.889,0:06:30.139
cultural groups. There are lots of community
service organisations who will be involved
0:06:30.139,0:06:34.819
with these groups and kids so get their advice.
Food is also another important element of
0:06:34.819,0:06:41.240
Midnight Basketball. Dinner is actually provided
because we don’t want anyone to be hungry.
0:06:41.240,0:06:48.240
It is also a great inclusionary way of bringing
in people from the community.
0:06:53.639,0:06:56.990
We sit down at the start of the term with
the Midnight Basketballers and they write
0:06:56.990,0:07:01.379
the code of conduct. We facilitate the process
but they write it.
0:07:01.379,0:07:06.560
It is actually really, really important if
you are going to get a diverse group of kids
0:07:06.560,0:07:11.080
across your community to get involved in the
program that you are running that they take
0:07:11.080,0:07:12.159
ownership of it.
0:07:12.159,0:07:17.680
Let the parents know that it’s something
to do with basketball not just the kids hanging
0:07:17.680,0:07:21.979
around at night. Yeh just let the parents
know beforehand.
0:07:21.979,0:07:25.449
Be as welcoming as you can. Not patronising
but welcoming.
0:07:25.449,0:07:32.449
There are a lot of preconceived ideas especially
about some of the new arrivals.
0:07:38.379,0:07:44.289
I think until you actually have close dealings
with them and see how good a people they really
0:07:44.289,0:07:47.409
are – they’re beautiful people with some
of the stuff that they come out and do.
0:07:47.409,0:07:54.409
(They are) very friendly so you have just
got to get them involved and the rewards overall
0:07:55.050,0:07:59.520
are enormous apart from some of them are actually
fantastic athletes.
0:07:59.520,0:08:03.319
They’ll benefit your club in every single
way anyway.
0:08:03.319,0:08:08.280
Sport is the most terrific structure to bring
people together and we would say to all these
0:08:08.280,0:08:13.199
people who are volunteers that they (the participants)
get so much out of it. They tell us in such
0:08:13.199,0:08:16.550
great heartfelt ways the meaning that sport
is to their lives.
0:08:16.550,0:08:20.849
Helping kids in the community - we just encourage
you to go ahead and do it.
0:08:20.849,0:08:25.240
I always thought that I wasn’t good enough
to join a team and that’s why I never joined
0:08:25.240,0:08:28.060
a team before. I actually want to give it
a try now.
