Youth tournament opens doors

Horsham Basketball Stadium hosted a Youth CAN 3-on-3 tournament at the weekend, with about 40 junior basketballers participating.

Youth CAN is a Horsham Rural City Council and Federation University project aimed at changing young people’s perception of alcohol.

Horsham Hornets players attended the tournament and the Young Masters hiphop crew performed two shows during the day.

Tournament organiser Annie Mintern described the tournament as ‘fantastic’.

“There was great feedback from the participants and parents,” she said.

“Kids loved it and a lot of families came down to watch. Research we did told us that a lot of teenagers feel pressured to drink alcohol because there aren’t many entertainment options for teenagers in Horsham.

“The purpose of the basketball comp and disco was to provide an event which would appeal to different demographics – kids who are into basketball, kids who are into music and kids who are into dancing. The event was designed to give young people an opportunity to socially engage with one another in an environment without alcohol and without pressure to drink alcohol.”