BALL SKILLS: Knox Raiders skills coach, Greg Oakford works with Emerald Lakers player, Sarah Morris.By TANIA MARTIN
EMERALD Lakers Basketball Club has disputed claims that it is a “hillbilly” club.
The Mail has watched as a debate over the discrimination of hills basketball teams has unfolded in the Opinions column.
For the last eight weeks a number of letters have been printed labelling the Emerald Lakers Basketball Club as a hillbilly team.
However, Emerald Lakers president, Charlie Borin disputed that the club was a hillbilly team.
Mr Borin said he understands that people have the right to speech, but that these claims were hurting the club.
Knox Amateur Basketball Association (KABA), chief executive officer, Laurie Joyce said being a hillbilly club was not necessarily a bad thing as towns in the hills have a real community spirit unlike towns in suburbs.
“Being a hillbilly is not necessarily a weakness, I live in the hills and I am proud to be a hillbilly,” Mr Joyce said.
The letters have also inferred that the KABA was discriminating against basketball teams in the hills.
In a letter on Tuesday 19 July, Maurie Bell of Monbulk claimed that the KABA was discriminating against several clubs such as Emerald Lakers as they were often forced to play games away from home.
But, Mr Borin said that KABA had supported the Lakers and other hills clubs by looking into the viability of having games played in Emerald.
Mr Joyce said that KABA had recognised that Emerald was one of the clubs that had further to travel and looked into the viability of having games at Emerald Secondary College.
However, Mr Borin said that not enough clubs supported the move.
Mr Joyce said that KABA had since worked with the Emerald Lakers and fixtures as many games as possible at Rowville and Upwey so that parents didn’t have to travel as far.
KABA had continued its support of the club providing sponsorship for the employment of a skills coach.
Mr Borin said the club has never been stronger with 17 teams in the KABA competition this year.
