A new campaign has been launched in a bid to get more Illawarra residents involved in basketball.
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Local basketball stalwart Rob Cannon is helping to drum up support to start a walking basketball competition in the region.
Walking basketball, as the name suggests, sees participants walk during games and is a low-impact, social-focused version of the sport which helps to maintain and improve health.
It is growing in popularity across Australia. The push comes after the inaugural "Walk the Field" event - a walking football tournament - was held in Wollongong last weekend.
Basketball Illawarra recently launched a free walking basketball training session, followed by a friendly game, which is held every Wednesday morning at the Snakepit. Cannon now hopes to see a full competition up and running in the region.
"We're trying hard to get it going. We've got half a dozen to eight people coming down [for training]," he said.
"A couple of years ago, the Sydney Flame women's basketball club tried to come down and start it up, but it never really kicked off. So we're just trying to get it going again. Walking basketball is very big up in Bankstown and also over in The Hills.
''And we've got a guy here (walking basketball director) Freddy Webb, who plays in the NBL1 and is from Darwin, and he used to run it up there and it's big there too.
"It's the same rules as basketball, except you walk instead of run, and they normally just play half-court. You don't have to have played before, it's just about moving around."
Basketball Illawarra's weekly walking basketball sessions are open to people of all ages and abilities.
Basketball Illawarra development manager Ben Bagoly encouraged all interested people to come and join in.
"We started it in term one of this year and it's grown into its own little community," Bagoly said.
"It's something that is a low-impact sport for all people and it basically involves some work skills and a bit of movement to learn basketball.
''We usually start the session with some skills work then we play a fun game."
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
