Glenorchy City Council Celebrates Community Engagement with 3v3 Basketball Initiative

Glenorchy, Tasmania – 29 May 2024 – The event, highlighted by a friendly 3v3 basketball match between the Tasmania Police and Glenorchy Youth, aimed to strengthen relations between the youth and the police through the power of sport. The event also featured a free community BBQ, fostering a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.

The 3v3 game is part of a broader community initiative led by the Glenorchy City Council Community Development team to build positive interactions with the youth in Glenorchy. By connecting through sport, the council believe they can create valuable and lasting relationships.

Acting Mayor Sue Hickey of Glenorchy City Council stated, “This is a wonderful event sponsored by the Glenorchy City Council, and it’s our local police force working with local youth playing basketball. It’s real community basketball, and we are really grateful that the Jackies have inspired this wonderful sport which is flourishing through the community. Unfortunately, it necessitates that we need a lot more sports grounds, but when you see kids engage with police in this day and age, in a really healthy way, it’s a wonderful inspirational thing to do.”

The basketball hoop is set up daily for public use, with the event itself providing a two-hour window where kids had the unique opportunity to take on the police in a game of 3v3 basketball.

The Tasmania JackJumpers supported this initiative through our Bloodlines program with Willie Joseph who is a Bloodline member. Willie, Ronan McDermott & Sushant Sedhai (Glenorchy Council Community Development Team) play major roles in using basketball as a means to engage the youth. Darren Smith, COO of the Jack Jumpers, was contacted by Willie Joseph through mutual connections, leading to the club providing hats and other giveaways for the day’s participants.

Darren Smith commented, “The Glenorchy City Council 3v3 initiative was a great opportunity to engage the young people of the community in the game of basketball. The JackJumpers have seen the impact the game has had in the community, so it was impressive to see members of the police force enjoying some time shooting hoops with the youth of Glenorchy. As we see the demand for basketball on the rise, events like this help to not only engage kids in a positive and healthy way but also allow them to participate in a sport they love.”

The JackJumpers are excited to witness the ongoing positive impact of this initiative and look forward to supporting more community-driven events in the future.