UCLA
(all right, we nicked it!) stands for Uniting Church Launceston
Allstars. The club was formed in the early ‘90s as
an outreach function of the church, and has found its ‘home
base’ at Trinity. (The club’s name actually
predates the church’s – “Trinity”)
The club fields four teams (A Grade and A Reserve for both
men and women) in the Northern Baptist Basketball Association.
The competition runs from about March to September each
year.
The club’s initial base was firmly within the church,
and church members are still actively involved in the running
of the club, while the membership has evolved to encompass
more people less involved with the church. The club draws
no funding from the church (and in fact contributes to the
church when able), but is blessed with willing and able
volunteer support from church members.
The last five years or so have seen the benefits of church
members’ various involvements in community concerns
– particularly refugee resettlement. A chance observation
of recent arrivals into the country at a time when some
of the club’s teams were struggling led to the club’s
embracing of different cultures, and ultimately the transformation
of the men’s A Reserve team! It has been a satisfying
and joyous experience watching the development and integration
of these players – in sport and friendship –
while at the same time exposing the rest of the club to
another side of our diverse world.
To date the club has played in just five grand finals –
all of them in the last five years, and all of them without
success. This year the club has been somewhat rejuvenated
through the welcoming of a number of new players, and is
having arguably its most successful year ever. All teams
have enjoyed on court success with three of the four teams
on top of their ladders at the halfway mark of the season.
A constant among amateur sports clubs and association is
the battle to keep costs affordable for everyone –
and the members do a wonderful job through various fundraising
efforts to help with this ongoing problem. Their determination
in the past led to the club being able to fully fund new
tops (featuring the Uniting Church’s logo for the
first time) in 2005. Church members have also been personally
generous on occasions when club members have been faced
with difficulties they have not been able to overcome on
their own. This generosity is very humbling, and a practical
example of the wider church’s Christian commitment
to embrace those less fortunate.
The club looks forward to the day when it can ‘bring
the silverware home’ to Trinity. |
