Local basketballers to visit USA for games

THREE local basketballers, two from Alexandra and one from Yarck, are soon to head off to the United States, and they need your support.

Bowen McCarthy, Jesse King and Fletcher McCarthy all went to primary school and secondary college in Alexandra.

The mother of two of the boys, Eliza McCarthy, explained that they all played basketball “from the time they were little tots until they aged out, when there wasn’t a senior team. They took themselves off to find a team somewhere else, because they loved playing so much. They’ve all found themselves at a fairly high level now, at the North East Bushrangers.”

Eliza commented, “The boys have done very well to not just give up when there wasn’t anywhere for them to play anymore, and they took it upon themselves to find somewhere where they could play.”

A similar situation occurred with Little Athletics, where the cut-off age is 17. She encouraged people to go out and find other opportunities.

The boys all train with the Bushrangers in Benalla, heading over there every week, and the games take place all over Victoria. They have some weekend back-to-back games where they get a team bus and have accommodation. While it’s a big commitment, the boys love it. The North East Bushrangers recently held their presentation night and Jesse King from Yarck was awarded Most Valuable Player.

An opportunity has recently arisen, where the North East Bushrangers are going on a USA tour to Houston, Texas. They’ll be playing up to four or five games each day over there, against US high schools and colleges, which are visited by college scouts. They will be viewed by people who may offer up sponsorships for college to play basketball.

During the first week that the young men will be in the USA, the focus will be entirely on basketball, and then during the second week, they’ll have some time off for sightseeing and an NBA game in Los Angeles. They’ll be setting off on their journey on November 28.

They are currently fundraising, as it’s not a cheap trip to undertake. They will be holding some basketball clinics during the school holidays. The North East Bushrangers team members will be hosting anyone who wants to register. The clinics will be held at the Alexandra Basketball Stadium on Saturday, October 7. It will be for under 10s through to under 14s, to learn skills and drills. People can register at playhq.com/basketball-victoria/register/a304a4

They will be holding a sausage sizzle outside of Yenckens in Alexandra on Saturday, November 4 (Melbourne Cup weekend). Soft drinks will also be available, and they’ll be drawing a raffle at the same time. Local businesses have donated some great prizes.

Raffle tickets are available locally, or through Eliza McCarthy or Raylene King on Facebook Messenger.

Image: Bowen McCarthy, Jesse King and Fletcher McCarthy.