Darren Allie didn't know a huge amount about his own family and Indigenous culture when he was growing up.
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His father was in the Air Force, so much of his childhood was spent moving from place to place around Australia and overseas.
It wasn't until he was older he learnt more about his family and that was something he shared with young basketballers from all over the region at Dubbo Sportsworld.
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Allie is now the Indigenous, Cultural and Linguistically Diverse Programs Manager at Basketball NSW and he was proud to attend the opening ceremony and first round of the Indigenous Community Basketball League (ICBL).
The league - founded and funded by Australian great Patty Mills - is now in its second year. It was designed to help develop Indigenous basketball players but it's also about much more.
"One of the big things here is about stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something you haven't done," Allie said as players from all over the state were put in teams together.
"But there's also the cultural side, as well. Some of these kids are at different stages of their cultural journey and may not be connected to culture as some others and this is a way of bringing that and learning off each other.
"It's massive."
That learning about culture is an aspect of the league Allie is particularly excited to see, given it was something he missed out on for a large part of his childhood.
"My dad was in the Air Force for 25 years and we moved all over Australia and the world so I was disconnected from my family and it wasn't until I got older and came home I learnt more and more.
"That journey never stops. It keeps on going so I think the kids will get a lot out of it."
Sometimes all kids need is a tap on the shoulder and be told 'hey, you've got some talent' and that's what this environment provides.
- Darren Allie
Allie was one of the special guests at the opening ceremony, which also featured a welcome to country and traditional dance performance from Uncle Ralph Naden and a number of kids from Dubbo and Trangie.
Dubbo will host four rounds of the ICBL NSW competition between now and the end of March.
Kids from all over the state are involved and put in four teams in both the boys and girls divisions.
The sides are named after the four main rivers in NSW - Wambuul, Millewa, Galari and Marrambidya.
A host of youngsters from Dubbo and the wider western area are involved and while they are getting the chance to learn, they're also pushing to impress selectors ahead of the national titles later in the year.
Ten boys and 10 girls from the NSW carnival will be selected to represent the state at the Gold Coast, where Boomers great and NBA star Mills may even make an appearance.
"That's part of the reason we're here," Allie said.
"To try and pick a group that will represent the Indigenous community at the national championships at the Gold Coast and to also find out about these kids and link them through the Basketball NSW elite pathways.
"We've already got a couple of kids who came through it last year that are now on the radar, which is really great because it's hard as an organisation to be everywhere.
"Sometimes all kids need is a tap on the shoulder and be told 'hey, you've got some talent' and that's what this environment provides."
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