Basketball transforming lives of at-risk youth in Western Australia
Within the town of Leonora, in the northeastern Goldfields region of Western Australia, an inspiring initiative is helping boost the confidence and improve the wellbeing of local kids.
The Leonora Blazers basketball program promotes good mental and physical health as well as a sense of self-worth.
René Reddingius Jr., the program’s leader, says basketball is his “happy state” and that’s something he sees reflected in the youth taking part.
“Basketball is a beautiful sport. It’s an energy sport; it’s a flow sport. There’s a natural synergy with Aboriginal people within the sport,” says René.
“With a lot of young people, when they have lost someone in their life or they’re feeling really on edge, they’ve talked along the lines of, ‘I just get on the court, get my headphones on, play some ball, and I’m feeling better after that.’ And this is something we promote: good mental health. We also encourage things like abstinence from alcohol and drugs, and learning the impact of that.”
René says the program provides an alternative choice. “Get addicted to being a part of something special, doing something healthy,” he explains of the ethos.
“It sets off the same chemicals in your brain. To feel respected and to get respect is addictive… ‘I want that feeling again; I want to feel proud of myself’ – that’s addictive.”
Leonora Blazers is supported by Minara Resources (Murrin Murrin Operations) due to the nearby Murrin Murrin mine and processing facility, wholly-owned by Glencore.
“Minara has been a big supporter of the program and the camps we put on, which is the only time we can play basketball outside of Leonora, against other teams. It’s a critical part of our program because we can’t train for the rest of our lives – we have to play the game or kids will just go, ‘Hmm, sorry, this is not for me.’”
Minara has supported the program since 2023, including a $30,000 grant from the Minara Community Foundation, but its support goes beyond the financial.
“What I love about our partners is they’re also providing a face,” says René.
“We come to Minara [Murrin Murrin] and play basketball there, and they have also come to Leonora, even though they’re 65km away from the town. To me, that means there’s a fair dinkum commitment from leadership, that they care about our relationship.”
Program participant McKye Blake has only good things to say about the program – and his grandfather René. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was 12 years old and I just fell in love with it,” he says.
“My grandfather has been helping me build my confidence and helping me with basketball. He’s been that person to go to when I needed help with something. He’s a real leader in the community.”