IT’S like something from a Hollywood sporting film.
Seventy students aged between 10 and 17 are standing by on a basketball court, eagerly waiting to start the best part of their day.
College captain Jacob Fry, an avid basketballer and more recently a junior team coach, said even the blistering cold mornings weren’t enough to dissuade the students.
“I think people look at it as a positive thing in the school,” he said.
Teachers Nathan Jacobs and Damian Toombs came up with the idea for the St Eugene Basketball Academy after wanting to help a group of students struggling to find their feet in the school.
They were seeing the usual warning signs – poor attendance rates, low academic achievements, unhealthy friendship.
But they all happened to be basketball players, so the idea of starting their own dedicated community seemed a bright solution.
“We wanted to do it first thing in the morning, the idea being that they would be at school, they’d have a successful start to the day and they would stay on at school and attend class,” Mr Jacobs said.
Within two years, the academy has done more for the school’s student morale than any other sub-community.
It’s produced 13 representative basketball teams – up from just one boys senior team two years ago – and the College’s first girl’s rep team.
This historic team, formed last year at the request of two Year 11 students, Stephanie Dunn and Olivia Martin, made it to their first quarter finals of the 2020 Champion Basketball School of Queensland tournament.
“You definitely feel a part of something and it’s awesome to be part of the developing side of it,” Olivia said.
Winning, while being a bonus, is not really the point of the Academy.
Coach Paul Carpenter, whose father was a basketballer for 30 years, said team sports bring the best out of young people.
“There’s nothing better in a coaching situation or in a teaching situation, than students wanting to improve, of wanting to be their best,” he said.
College Campus Minister Allison Whitten says from the sidelines, you can see how much the Academy gives the students hope.
“The Academy definitely brings hope to the students, it teaches them that together as a team they are stronger, it teaches them resilience, forgiveness, perseverance and to look for ways to become better people,” Mrs Whitten said.
As Pope Francis told members of the Italian Basketball Federation in May this year, basketball “is a sport that lifts you up to the heavens”.
Ten-year-old Sophie Brindell loves the sense of community and purpose it gives her young life.
“It’s actually one of my other homes,” the Year 5 student said.
The young Dunghutti and Wakka Wakka woman is becoming an excellent player (her goal is to play in NBL) and is literally wearing her Aboriginal identity on her sleeve during training.
Twelve per cent of the St Eugene students identify as Indigenous, so to celebrate the diverse nature of the school, the junior players were asked to design the Academy’s training shirts taking inspiration from Aboriginal art.
“Me and my sister thought we could do some other dot paintings on it,” Sophie said.
The Academy has taught Sophie a valuable lesson about the importance of education for the Aboriginal people.
“It does make me motivated because some of my family, they didn’t get to graduate so I definitely want to and try and do all my goals and dreams,” she said.
Oblate Father John Sherman, who is chaplain of the College, also sings praises for the Academy.
“I am still getting to know the academy but I am very impressed how the enthusiasm of Nathan and the staff who work with him bring the best out of the young people,” Fr Sherman said.
“Nathan appears as a person whose joy for living his faith inspires others.”
