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More than 400 young basketballers brought the heat to the courts of Dandenong Stadium.
The Big Chill Winter Classic staged by AAU Australia pitted 86 teams – in the under-14s, under-16s, under-18s and under-21s categories – on 6-9 July.
Among the teams from across Victoria was Dandenong’s own Red Roo Basketball.
Red Roo Sports director James Kerr said it was a terrific effort to stage the event just after Melbourne’s most recent Covid lockdown.
“It went off. It was a great opportunity for the kids.
“The bottom line here was we managed it through the Covid-safe protocols.
“After that three-week lockdown, a lot of tournaments were cancelled.”
The tournament in its entirety is screened online on BallerTV.
The footage provides a chance for players to cut their own mix-tapes and be seen by talent scouts, including US schools and colleges, Mr Kerr says.
“The AAU is there to provide a pathway for kids to go to US College to play basketball and to be seen on a level that would never happen playing representative basketball.”
