Noticing an absence of basketball alternatives for Pacific islander women within the south-west of Sydney, mother-of-two Azzie Naloku took issues into her personal fingers.
The Pacifika Ballerz is a crew of gamers of Fijian, Tongan or Samoan heritage, and gives women a possibility to come back collectively to embrace their cultural heritage and play ball.
“We observed there was a variety of emphasis primarily in the direction of the boys and never a lot catered in the direction of the women by way of teaching and coaching and constructing that momentum,” Naloku mentioned.
Naloku is her two sports-minded youngsters’ largest supporter and has spent many hours courtside watching her daughters prepare within the sport they love.
Coach and father Halo Tavana with Azzie Naloku, one of many moms who based the crew. (Siren Sport: Lyndal Irons)
It was throughout this time that Naloku observed a spot in basketball alternatives particular to Pacific islander women.
Looking for an surroundings the place the women’ ardour for enjoying basketball might flourish alongside their ability growth, Naloku teamed up with two different moms to create a crew of their very own.
“We had been simply a few mums who had put our women into varied native impartial golf equipment,” Naloku mentioned.
“It was all very new for us.”
With earlier makes an attempt to get the women into an area membership hindered by no crew availability and waitlists, the Pacifika Ballerz crew was fashioned.
In 2023, having proved their viability, they re-approached the Bankstown Bruins, a membership within the Bankstown Basketball Affiliation in Sydney’s south-west, looking for to enter the league independently.
This time they had been profitable in securing a spot.
The crew received the championship in its first season. (Siren Sport: Lyndal Irons)
“It was the primary crew launched in Bankstown as a Pacific islander crew, in order that was a distinction of range that we introduced into the membership,” Naloku mentioned.
Regardless of being a brand new crew and navigating the strain of proving themselves, the Pacifika Ballerz went on to grow to be the champions of their first season.
Cultivating wellness via basketball
When she will not be working a basketball crew Naloku works as a counsellor and wellbeing coach.
She has witnessed the rise of psychological well being issues amongst youth in her neighborhood and believes sport can play an important position in altering the lives of youngsters from Pacific islander and Indigenous communities.
Gamers have fun after a recreation. (Siren Sport: Lyndal Irons)
Her motivation is pushed by extra than simply on-court growth.
“I’ve positively seen [the girls’] resilience, drive, and motivation develop,” Naloku mentioned.
“Vanity has began to construct, which can also be nice.”
The dad and mom and volunteers across the crew are driving Pacifika Ballerz with “the imaginative and prescient to make it extra instructional round psychological well being, constructing confidence but additionally upskilling the women within the space of basketball and the fervour to develop,” Naloku mentioned.
The ladies have welcomed the chance to play collectively and are flourishing inside the supportive surroundings that has been constructed round them.
Protecting prices down
Constructing the Pacifika Ballerz crew was simply the beginning for Naloku.
Whereas early success on the courtroom has been thrilling, she desires to maintain the momentum going.
“Our imaginative and prescient extends past our crew; we aspire to collaborate with like-minded neighborhood organisations, together with these from Pacific Indigenous communities to additional help the expansion of our Pacifika Ballerz crew,” Naloku mentioned.
Halo Tavana is the crew’s coach, and has earlier teaching expertise in New Zealand. (Siren Sport: Lyndal Irons)
Now the women are on the courtroom, Naloku hopes to alleviate the monetary limitations households of their neighborhood face to have their kids take part in sport.
“Pacific islanders usually come from massive households, and typically the price of sport might be troublesome,” she defined.
Looking for to scale back prices, the crew is eager to create a community of volunteers, and has been lucky to search out an skilled coach, the daddy of 1 participant, Halo Tavana, who has earlier teaching expertise in New Zealand.
The Ballerz have additionally determined to solely cost competitors charges to maintain prices down.
As Naloku places it: “Alternative opens up the place we are able to minimise value.”
This has meant not having the ability to pay for indoor coaching services, however Naloku and different dad and mom have been looking out for collaborations.
At present, the crew trains outside at a area people basketball courtroom, whereas Charity Bounce, a not-for-profit organisation, has enabled the women to attend extra teaching in an indoor coaching venue, growing their on-court abilities in a weather-resistant coaching surroundings.
Passionate dad and mom need extra for his or her daughters
Constructing on an unimaginable first season, the Pacifika Ballerz crew and its squad of passionate dad and mom are excited to proceed exhibiting the neighborhood what they’ll do on and off the courtroom, and are dedicated to taking part in tournaments inside Australia and internationally.
“As dad and mom, all our desires and aspirations are to raised ability, develop and create pathways and alternatives for our youngsters,” Naloku mentioned.
“It is by no means unrewarded. I feel the rewards converse for itself; once we put our heads collectively and create the pathways for his or her future.”
Jo White is enthusiastic about amplifying the voices of women and girls and is the host and producer of Pause Past the Courtroom, a podcast prioritising the wellbeing of feminine ballers on and off the courtroom.
ABC Sport has partnered with Siren Sport to raise the protection of ladies and non-binary individuals in sport.
