She Hoops are today announcing a foundational partnership with Kulbardi and the Bibbulmun Fund to kickstart an Indigenous Leadership Program for girls.
She Hoops, alongside Indigenous-owned Kulbardi and the Bibbulmun Fund, will introduce development programs that allow girls from First Nations communities to explore a connection with the game and grow alongside their peers.
Launched by Lauren Jackson AO OLY in 2022, She Hoops aims to create basketball development programs for young girls across Australia.
Jackson's vision goes beyond teaching the basics of the sport—she wants to create an environment where young players can grow in confidence.
"I think the biggest, most awesome thing about this is by the end of the day they’re loud, they’re having fun, they’re talking, they’re communicating, they’re working with one another - that’s the special product for me," said Jackson.
Kim Collard (Balladong - Whadjuk) jumped at the opportunity to support the program, with experience as Founder and Executive Chairman of Kulbardi and Executive Chairman of the Bibbulmun Fund.
Kim and daughter Sharna Collard (Balladong – Whadjuk), Chief Executive Officer for the Bibbulmun Fund, will work in tandem to provide ongoing support and guidance for the program.
The introduction of an Indigenous Leadership program is another step in the greater vision of She Hoops in providing accessible and inclusive workshops.
The programs will run for three months, inviting 40 girls for a series of on-court and development workshops and mentor Abby Cubillo (Larrakia) will play a central role to the rollout.
Three individual programs will run over the next 12 months, the first in Western Australia before extending into other States and Territories.
After the pilot run has concluded the She Hoops and Kulbardi team will analyse potential scalability with the aim of furthering the reach and reducing barriers for communities across Australia.
