Heelers target Hedland hoops

Hedland residents of all sizes and abilities can test their basketball skills against some of Australia’s best hoops players next month when the Red Dust Heelers hit town.

Made up of Aboriginal and other athletes with a disability, the Red Dust Heelers include Australian paralympian athletes such as Rio de Janeiro-bound national wheelchair basketball captain Brad Ness.

The Heelers will spend their time in Hedland running workshops, encouraging local businesses to employ people with perceived disabilities and challenging one and all to meet in friendly clashes on the basketball court.

Young Hedland resident Anika Foley used to play wheelchair basketball in Perth and has long played hoops with her sports-mad family.

She said she could not wait to join the Heelers on Hedland’s courts.

“(Many of the Heelers) are the same people when I was down in Perth, who I used to (play) basketball with,” she said.

“(Now) they got picked to go to Rio (so it is exciting).”

Anika’s mum Joan Foley hopes to use the Heelers’ visit to launch a new all-inclusive basketball competition.

Rather than having a separate wheelchair competition, Ms Foley said the new basketball association would be open to anyone keen to play.

“(Anika) doesn’t want to play in a game where nobody ... is standing on two legs, she just wants to play basketball (with anyone), like her (aunties and uncles have) done for many years now,” she said.

Ms Foley has applied for a funding grant to purchase a bus and trailer to transport the players taking part in the new competition to their matches.

She also intends to put the Heelers to work during their Hedland visit.

On June 16, the Heelers will visit local schools before attending a dinner at the ibis Styles Hotel.

Ms Foley said she hoped to encourage local business and Chamber of Commerce representatives to come to the dinner and learn more about how they could get people with perceived disabilities into employment.

She said the Heelers tell many stories about how successful working careers have helped them turn their lives around.

On June 17, the Heelers will then take part in a basketball competition in which local businesses and corporate groups are encouraged to enter teams of five or more players and challenge for the win.

It should be a slam dunk of a good time.