Posted by basketball | January 27th, 2011
The first committee meeting occurred in 1979. It consisted of basketballers who were playing in other places such as Noarlunga. A local competition began early in 1980 with four mens teams ( monday nights ) and four womens teams ( wednesday nights ). Later that year there were 11 mens teams and 8 womens teams.
By 1981, our teams were competing in Country Carnivals in Adelaide and games across the Fleurieu Peninsula against Victor Harbor, Strathalbyn and Yankalilla.
The first junior matches were in 1986 on Tuesday afternoons. The WDBA organised and ran a Junior Fleurieu Carnival annually for about ten years. We competed against teams from Aldinga, McLaren Vale, Mt. Compass, Victor Harbor, Yankalilla, Strathalbyn and Seaford. We used courts at WHS and MCAS. Willunga junior teams were playing in carnivals in Adelaide each year.
During the 1990s, Basketball was very popular and there was a need for another multi-use stadium in the area. Initially, WDBA tried to build a Basketball stadium at Aldinga. It nearly happened but there was opposition from local people. This did not happen so WDBA proposed that another court be added to the existing one. During this decade, fundraising was successful but eventually it was decided that a new court would not be built. A pity because sports other than basketball would have benefitted. There were about 600 players competing each week during the 1990s.
Although numbers are less now, there have always been representative teams playing in carnivals elsewhere in the state. WDBA has had junior teams in the DIstrict Basketball competitions in Adelaide with a lot of success.
By 2011, the game is still strong in Willunga. At present, women play on Tuesday nights, men play on Wednesday nights and juniors compete on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Free coaching on Sunday mornings. About 350 people play the game each week.
