About Us
The Association runs a domestic competition at the Blaxland High School Sports Centre for both Juniors and Seniors. Competitions are run on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from Under 12’s to Opens, with Learn to Play & Miniball/Under 10’s run on Saturday mornings.
The Association is a member of Basketball NSW and has entered Junior Representative teams in the Sydney Metropolitan Championships, a men’s team in the Youth League, and a Division 1 Mens team in the State Basketball League for 2008 in its fourth season under the "Springwood Scorchers".
(location map at bottom of page)
HISTORY OF SPRINGWOOD BASKETBALL
The Springwood and Districts Basketball Club began in 1986. It was formed by a group of parents who were keen for their children to play basketball.
Graham and Lyn Wass were instrumental in the formation of the club. They had three children, Daniel, Matthew and Simon, who loved basketball and they organised the establishment of the first committee and teams to play under the name of S&DBC.
The club catered for boys and girls from U10’s to U18’s, and played its games at Penrith Stadium, playing mostly Friday nights and Saturdays. Penrith was chosen ahead of Katoomba because it was deemed to be easier and quicker to get to, and had a larger competition.
As the club grew, the committee deemed it was time for a nickname. A competition was organised among club members, restricted to the players, and from that came ’Scorchers’. The logo was also the result of a competition conducted amongst members.
The S&DBC was just that, a club, which joined the Penrith Association. It was one of six or seven clubs under the Penrith Association banner. At its peak the S&DBC had over 70 teams playing in the black and red, and was one of the top two clubs in the Penrith Association.
Then, in the mid 90’s, the lifestyle of the families in the lower mountains began to change. Most parents commuted long distances to work and found it difficult to continue with basketball. If you had more than one child playing, you could be in Penrith virtually all weekend. So, the committee conducted a survey on whether parents would support the club if it played its games locally. The response was overwhelmingly in favour, but just one problem existed, where to play.
After considering several options an agreement was reached with Blaxland High School to build a stadium on school grounds, which the school would use during school hours and the club would run outside of school hours.
There were many hurdles to overcome; a joint venture like this had never been undertaken in N.S.W. before. Eventually the club and the school were able to enlist the support of local politicians and the Blue Mountains City Council to raise the money to build the stadium, which was nearly two million dollars.
It took seven years for the dream to be realised.
The S&DBC, with the support of Basketball N.S.W., then became an Association, the competition was expanded to include seniors and the rest, as they say, is history.
S&DBA Court Controllers.
BETTY NOVAK
JUDY WILSON
S&DBA Referee Coach/Evaluators.
JEAN VON RIEGEN
KURT VON RIEGEN
S&DBA Referee Controllers.
BERNADETTE ANDERSEN
IAN FULLER
LEANNE TALBOT
Referee’s Committee.
JEAN VON RIEGEN
BERNADETTE ANDERSEN
IAN FULLER
LEANNE TALBOT
KARL VON RIEGEN
2008 Representative Executive Committee.
VINCE BROWNING
JEAN VON RIEGEN
LEANNE TALBOT
CATHY KELLY
IAN FULLER
BERNADETTE ANDERSEN
