A group of Indigenous girls from Whyalla have spent time learning from Adelaide 36ers players and coaches as part of a leadership camp in the South Australian capital.
Eight participants from the Shooting Stars Program took part in a basketball clinic with 36ers assistant coach Kerry Williams and players Ben Griscti and Deonte Williams during their visit to Adelaide this week.
Shooting Stars works with Aboriginal girls and young women across regional South Australia and Western Australia, with a focus on education, social and emotional wellbeing, and strengthening connections to the community.
The session gave the Whyalla students an opportunity to develop their basketball skills while also hearing from athletes about leadership and culture.
Kerry Williams is a proud Gugu Yalanji and Taribelang Bunda man, while Deonte Williams is a proud Worimi and Kamilaroi man.
They were joined by Griscti and WNBL basketballer Ashlee Strawbridge for discussions with the group.
Adelaide 36ers Chief of External Relations and Community Strategy Ross Wait said the clinic was an important opportunity for both the students and players.
"It was a really special opportunity for Kerry and our players to spend time with the Shooting Stars participants," Wait said in an Adelaide 36ers statement.
"The young women were in Adelaide for a leadership camp, and while I'm sure they took something away from the experience, Ben and Deonte also learnt a lot from them.
"Shooting Stars is doing incredible work engaging and inspiring Aboriginal students in regional areas and we are proud to have played a part, thanks to BHP who connected us with the program."
Shooting Stars currently operates across four government schools in Whyalla, where its programs are developed in partnership with local communities, schools and service providers.
The model allows activities and support to be tailored to the needs of students and their communities.
Since expanding into South Australia in 2021, more than 150 students from Years 3 to 12 have taken part in the Whyalla program.
The visit also forms part of the Adelaide 36ers' broader community work in regional South Australia through its partnership with BHP.
The club has continued to use basketball as a way of connecting with young people outside metropolitan Adelaide, with further activity planned in Whyalla.
The 36ers are expected to return next month, when they will spend time with the wider Shooting Stars cohort of about 130 participants and visit several local schools.
The upcoming trip will build on this week's leadership camp and provide more young people in Whyalla with an opportunity to engage with the club.
