Shalom College is ready to shoot hoops and make history on the basketball court as the school’s first girls team takes part in the Queensland All Schools Basketball Championships next week.
Coach Kylie Giles said there would be 44 teams involved across three divisions and even though the Shalom squad only started training six weeks before being accepted into the tournament, they were in with a good chance.
“We had to enter via a wildcard entry,” Kylie said.
“It was sort of enter in and we started training and then we found out about six weeks after that that we were accepted in to the pool and they put as in division 3.
“Which we’re pretty happy with considering its our first year in; you know we don’t know what the competition is like, so we are going away at a division 3 to hopefully be competitive!”
Shalom basketball player Shelby Cass said although the team hadn’t had long to train together there were nine experienced players, and with the help from Coach Kylie they were willing to give it their best shot.
“We got a team started up a little while ago and we have been training ever since,” Shelby said.
“We have nine in the team and we are all really experienced players, and we are hoping to go really well in the competition – we do have a good chance!
“We are really excited as this is the first time Shalom has a team in it.”
First time in Shalom history
Kylie said it was the first time in history that Shalom had sent a girls team into the Queensland All Schools Basketball Championships .
“I think they are all excited,” Kylie said.
“I know when I put it to them at the end of last year, the start of this year, and they were all really keen and their parents were really supportive of it all too, which is the most important thing.”
She said the students at Shalom always had a competitive sporting streak, particularly the boys, but now the girls were showing a little more competitiveness and it was good to see a girls’ team go away to compete.
Kylie hopes with the students’ competitive nature the team will end in the top four and that would then see them advance to a division 2 next year.
The team's first game is on Thursday, 19 September at the Mount Warren Sports Centre, where they will go up against Mount Alvernia College at 10.30am.
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