A registration day will take place from 1 pm this Sunday at the Yass showground sports stadium to gauge interest in a range of indoor sports competitions proposed by a new local business CT Sports.
Business owner and Coach Chris Tetley has a vision to re-open indoor sports competitions and create an environment of fun and learning. The stadium hall has wooden floors marked out for basketball, indoor soccer and volleyball. There is a small canteen area inside, an electronic scoreboard, and has access to restrooms.
As a child, Mr Tetley grew up playing a variety of different sports, including swimming, football and basketball.
“My small, wiry frame wasn’t much good for football, but as it turned out, basketball was a pretty good option.”
It was basketball that Mr Tetley fell in love with as a player and spent time learning the ins and outs of the game. He then became a qualified coach and has been the head and assistant coach at many state events.
He has also attended many training camps held around NSW and the AIS.
“It feels great to win, but as a coach, you get more joy from seeing people you have helped achieve victory,” said Mr Tetley.
Mr Tetley wants to start with offering basketball after school on a Monday and Tuesday at the indoor hall with around 30 to 40 people already showing interest. After spreading the word through the schools in town, he believes this number will grow. If there is enough interest in using the space, indoor soccer and volleyball might also become available.
Currently, Mr Tetley does his private basketball coaching around the state but would like to set up an Academy in Yass. The goal is to connect Yass with other towns in the southern tablelands such as Gundagai, Temora, Young and Cowra, to name a few. This academy would be to train children in basketball, identify talent and allow children to compete and advance.
Mr Tetley even has a set of mini ball rings made for use at the hall. These are hoops that come down lower to the ground for younger children. Mr Tetley stated younger children form bad habits when they try to put too much power into reaching the standard size hoops. By using the mini ball hoops, they can keep good technique and score more baskets which is more enjoyable.
“The reason I am doing this is that I grew up in the country town of Bega. I know the game of basketball and the opportunities it can provide. The kids in cities get spoilt for choice and coaches. I want kids in this area to have the opportunity to receive what I believe will be fun, quality, regular coaching without having to travel.”
This has been a 5-year plan for Mr Tetley. He recently resigned from his job as a courier to focus on this new business, stating that he could not achieve what he wanted to with a full-time job. He wanted to do something he was passionate about and be able to help others.
He believes his indoor sports program will be great for kids after school to have a place to go rather than sitting on the computer or Xbox.
“A lot of parents don’t get home until well after kids finish school,” said Mr Tetley. “It would be great to have a place they could hang out and socialise while filling in that time.”
In the past, Mr Tetley has volunteered in Thailand at basketball competitions. His dream is to one day be able to provide the opportunity for kids from the local area to go to training camps overseas. Mr Tetley said it would be “a great experience and a chance to grow which the kids would never forget.”
The registration day will be held at the hall and starts at 1 pm. It is mainly targeted at kids, to begin with, but he is keen to get an adult competition up and running if there is enough interest shown. Mr Tetley stated he has a full COVID plan in place which involves a separate entry and exit point from the hall, regular cleaning, and posters to give information on hygiene at the ground. A maximum of 20 people inside the stadium will apply.
