By Jonty Ralphsmith
Everyone at Vales knows of Luke Fennell.
He’s the one out of the box.
A guard with pizzazz, he averaged 24 points per match at the under-18 national championships last month and was voted by his peers as the best player in Australia.
Currently with the Australian Institute of Sport on a scholarship to the NBA Global Academy, he’s destined for big things – and that success started at Vales under coach Michael Smith.
Rowville and Dingley have also been part of his journey.
“On this trajectory, he’ll probably be Australia’s best player ever,” Smith said.
“He was always really good, but it’s not so much that, it’s the dedication, the hard work and physical activity you have to put in even when you come back.
“Luke was rejected from the Vic team three times and had to live basketball six days a week to make it and now he’s at a really high level.
“The last kid who came through the program was Josh Giddey – Luke has been told he’s ahead of Josh.
“He’s six foot five, runs like the wind and can defend and shoot.
“Luke’s strength is his ability to win his own ball. One on one he’ll get it off you and sink it.”
Vales is marking its 65th anniversary this year and Fennell’s rise is the latest in a catalogue of Vales success stories.
In between the players who have reached great heights are countless stories of friendship, support and fun.
The latter is how the club measures itself, for its mantra has always been to provide an outlet and opportunity for local kids and teenagers.
There was a saying many years ago that you were “either at the station or at the stadium.”
It’s given kids a purpose and instilled them with values of fairness and respect.
Smith recalls a time several years ago where four boys wandered over during preseason training.
Concerned parents thought the youth were going to cause trouble – but they were ex-Vales players who saw the uniform and wanted to lend a hand.
Those stories of people coming the full circle are ubiquitous at Vales.
Springvale is always not only encouraging kids to coach, but also forthcoming with the resources to enable them to grow in the leadership space.
“Everyone helps in some way,” says one Vales parent.
At its core, it is a club built on loyalty.
Vales rarely gets caught up in the political rigmarole that can plague junior sports clubs which think they have the next big thing.
Sometimes, like with Fennell, if you go about it the right way, a gem will fall in your lap.
“We wouldn’t chase on-field success over family values,” says another parent, who has 14 family members involved.
She doesn’t exactly remember the story of how the family came to be at Vales, but she knows it started with her brother and snowballed from there.
There’s several family ties at Vales and lots of people stumble on others they know.
Part of the reason for that is the overwhelming willingness for everyone to get involved.
If one family member is playing, that often attracts a sibling, parents, friends.
Those extra hands on deck means all the little things are ticked off: communication is clear, coaching is on-point, team management and administration isn’t just a rush job, events and dinners can be held, achievements can be recognised.
Something which the club has introduced off the back of having lots of people involved is a cubs program for young’uns.
It costs $5 per session and kids can come in the weeks they choose.
Not requiring parents to commit makes it a major carrot.
The female pathway has been a recent emphasis for the club given it is less developed than the male space.
The club does minimal advertising, with word-of-mouth the source of sustainability.
A parent, who also coaches a junior female team, remembers when she was told she didn’t have to actively recruit.
“Everyone’s coming to me and asking me to be involved,” she remembers snapping back happily.
In the last 12 months, the club has grown from 28 clubs to 60 clubs – a 214 per cent growth.
Going back 15 years, there were just seven teams.
People come from the growth corridors in Dandenong, Berwick, Narre Warren and surrounds, but also as far as Hawthorn and Toorak.
“Opposition see that people from Vales cheer each other on so it actually feels like a team…it’s like they have a little cheer-squad on the sidelines,” says one parent.
“If we see a Vales kid around they’ll have a ‘family’ to go back to.”
Overall, the growth is a classic case of good people attract good people.
There is a smorgasbord of stories when the club has raised funds for underprivileged children to financially afford to play.
It’s just part of the DNA of the club – no one raises an eyebrow, nor is an eyelid battered.
That leads to more relationships.
It’s not uncommon for people to spend their entire Saturday at the stadium.
There’s a small town feel to the club – players and parents tend to know someone from every team leading them to stay for “just one more game.”
Before long, it’s 6pm.
With basketball being a sport where there are typically no clubrooms, such a vibrant culture is crucial to the lifeblood of the club.
The size of the club is also enticing because it ensures players are playing with and against people evenly matched.
There is greater flexibility, ensuring kids aren’t just thrown in a team because there’s nowhere else to go.
In its 65 years, from the days when they were at the market to the shiny current stadium, the club has imprinted itself on the growing Greater Dandenong City.
Yet, the passion of those inside the club provide a more youthful exuberance and give the impression that its as healthy as it has ever been.
