Play Our Way Grant Strengthens Women and Girls’ Basketball in Victoria

10 April 2025

In one of Australia’s most significant investments in women’s sport, women and girls in Victoria will have greater opportunities to play basketball and stay active, thanks to a $750,000 grant to Basketball Victoria (BV). BV has been selected to receive funding under the Australian Government’s $200 million Play Our Way Program which is designed to remove barriers, address discrimination and promote equality for women and girls to participate in sport and physical activity.

Running until June 2027, BV will use this funding for a range of activities and initiatives to help women and girls remain involved in sport and physical activity for life. These activities include - the delivery of free basketball clinics for primary school aged girls around Victoria, funding for basketball associations to increase the recruitment and retention of women and girls in playing and non-playing roles, a regional roadshow aimed at supporting the growth of women’s wheelchair basketball, and a leadership program to identify and support future women leaders of Victorian basketball.

BV’s delivery of these activities ties in with the recently released gender equity action plan - Power Forward, which aims to elevate basketball to the highest participation sport for women and girls in Victoria by 2032.

Federal Member of Parliament for Chisholm, Dr. Carina Garland, who attended the launch at Nunawading Basketball Stadium emphasised the importance of increasing female participation in sport through initiatives like Play Our Way.

“I’m hoping that more women and girls get involved in sport. It’s terrific for confidence, for physical and mental health, and for building community.”

She also highlighted why it is crucial to focus on primary school-aged girls in particular -“I think empowering primary school-aged girls giving them confidence and self-belief is so important, and sport is a wonderful way that I think we can do that.”

Basketball Victoria’s Women and Girls Participation Coordinator, Kat Gourley is delighted with the opportunity to provide more opportunities for equal participation in basketball.

"Basketball is one of the highest participation sports in Victoria, and in 2024 women and girls made up 31% of registered players. It is exciting to have the chance to build on this participation base and implement projects and programs to ensure the sustainability of opportunities for women and girls in basketball over time."

In-school clinics providing a fun, skill-based opportunity to try out basketball will form the foundation of the grant delivery, while BV staff will also support associations to engage more women and girls as coaches, officials and administrators to ensure that visible pathways exist in every aspect of the sport.

"As basketball in Victoria continues to grow, it is important that we are providing opportunities to remove barriers that have historically limited women and girls from participating in our sport." said Nick Honey, Chief Executive Officer, Basketball Victoria.

"The Play Our Way grant allows us to invest additional resources into supporting the goals of our gender equity action plan and ensuring that in Victoria, basketball truly is, everyone’s game."

For more information about Basketball Victoria's Play Our Way program initiatives, please visit Basketball Victoria's website and sign up to our mailing list.