Oakleigh Raptors is a community run Basketball Club with a mission to make our approach to basketball (The Raptors Way) accessible to as many people as possible. Whilst winning is great, how we get there is much more important, and our approach brings together our core values of fun, persistence, sportsmanship, well-being and community.
The club runs numerous teams, where all skill levels are welcome. If your child is total beginner we offer development sessions to help build the skill and confidence needed to enjoy the sport of basketball.
Find Out More
How Does It Work?
Basketball is split into two seasons, Summer & Winter and we have two main intakes commencing the last few weeks of the school term 1, and term 3. Our coaching panel, review registered children first and allocated them into new teams depending on the year of their birth as per the below tables
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There are a number of divisions in each age group to suit every standard and teams are selected to ensure a good balance of skills, heights and appropriateness of grade. We also try to take friendships into account especially as we work to build up numbers in the club, so please bring a friend or two along with you!
We are also running a limited place program called the "Mini Raptors". The intention is to prepare new future players for the following season. This is exclusive to foundation, grade 1 & grade 2 children and provides an introduction to basketball class without weekend competition games. To find out more:
Mini Raptors
How Much Does It Cost?
Oakleigh Raptors Club Fee^
$275
Basketball Victoria Fee* $29
Basketball Australia Fee** $5.50
MBA Spectator Fee
$90
Oakleigh Raptors Club Fee is per season (Excludes finals)
^ Registrations after the closing date will incur an additional $10 admin fee
* Basketball Victoria is an annual fee and is $43 for players 18 and over
** Basketball Australia participate fee is an annual amount
Where & When
Basketball seasons typically follow the school calendar with Winter Season (Typically April to September) & the Summer Season (Typically October to March).
Practices
Teams practice weekly for 1 hour with the day, time and location dependent on volunteer coach availability. These are confirmed once teams are formed and typically will be a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening between 5pm to 8pm. Training locations can also vary however typically include indoor courts at:
Games
Game fixtures are managed the McKinnon Basketball Association (MBA) depending on court availability. Typically these are held at indoor courts around Bentleigh, Bentleigh East, Carnegie and Brighton.
Boys and Seniors play on Saturday and girls on Sundays, with times varying from younger to older ages across the days duration.
Exclusive for foundation, grade 1 & grade 2 children to provide an introduction to basketball without weekend competition games. Run pre-season, please signup, please note, due to its popularity, this is a strictly first in first serve.
Our main program is focused on domestic weekend competition supported by a weekday training practice. Teams are carefully constructed to build skills, friends, challenge and most importantly fun! As our core program, our focus here is not just on-court, but also incorporates off-court development which is vital to the club’s vision, values and mission.
Focused towards our junior – mid age group players, the Oakleigh Raptors Basketball Club periodically runs extended development training open to all players within a specific age group to focus on dribbling, layups, free throws and passing.
Nothing accelerates basketball skills faster than having fun and playing more games! For existing Raptors players and depending on their coach, we now have the opportunity for an additional competition to further aid player development. Please refer our senior age coordinator for more details.
As members of the MBA, all Oakleigh Raptors Basketball Club players are eligible to try-out for the Cougars Rep Basketball team to further higher-level basketball competition and exposure. The Cougars are highly sought after and places are limited, and we warmly encourage any interested Raptor to try-out and explore this basketball opportunity.
The Raptors also periodically hold internal scrimmages matches across teams of similar ages, we strongly encourage coaches and teams to participate as this further develops friendships outside of existing teams, builds confidence and enhances our community.
Additionally, Oakleigh Raptors Basketball Club members are able to access the McKinnon Basketball Association’s programs including:
Aussie Hoops Holiday Camps Rep Ready Program All Abilities Program Domestic Academy
This program incorporates a valuable external expert from a variety a basketball specialists, health, fitness or other to support our coaches skill development and provide a team workshop to talk through challenges and strategies for the season. A must for every coach!
The season starter program gets our season off to a great start, we review new drills and skills, discuss updates / changes to competition by-laws, club changes and great networking to hoop! Always fun and insightful.
With decades worth of experiences share, the Raptors dedicated, Coaches Only intranet site features a wealth of tools to help new and experienced coaches navigate their teams basketball journey. With videos, templates and tools, as well as an growing range of FAQ's, please speak to our Coaching Director to gain access and further enhance your coaching capabilities.
Run by our association but also basketball Victoria, we encourage coaches to further their technical capabilities with these custom designed courses, speak with our Coaching Director to find out more.
How Does It Work?
Please contact Adeline & Keith using the button below to place an order for your uniform or for any uniform related inquiries.
There is an option to choose the number for your uniform, however if this number is already taken, we will assign a different number. If you unsure about the size, we do have a set of each size to try on. All players must wear the "reversible playing singlet" and "playing shorts" to all game day games.
Uniform Inquiries
Things you may be wondering?
We believe that focused practice with a purpose produces the best outcomes, so joining a team and combining weekly training and a weekend game is the best way to develop your basketball abilities.
Our 60 minute, weekly practices depend on volunteer coach availability across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. We use a variety of schools in the area such as St Andrews (Clayton South), Oakleigh Primary (Oakleigh) and Westall Secondary College (Westall). We do aim to get the younger children's practices earlier from 5pm (where possible) with older kids scheduled up to 8.00pm.
Games are played on the weekend, with the Boys (and mixed U8 teams) on Saturday and Girls on Sunday. Game times and locations are set by the MBA and are typically staggered from 8am until 8pm at indoor courts around Bentleigh, Brighton, Carnegie & Monash
The first step in any new adventure can be daunting! Contact our registrations team and we would be happy to find a way for you child to get a sense of the game.
At younger ages our focus is around developing skills, fun competition and friendships. We also take into account ages as we want to minimise disruptive team changes due to MBA regulations and also, if relevant, level of capability. This is a complex set of challenges and our Junior and Senior Coordinators, Coaching Director & Coaching Panel do our best with the interests of the player first where possible.
There are many factors that come into play when formulating teams. Friendships are taken into consideration although are not guaranteed.
Simple, just click on register your interest or join us buttons and we will be in contact! There are two entry points (the month before winter and summer season), however contact us and we can help you through process. (Join Us)
Please contact our Uniforms Officer at: uniforms@raptors.org.au
We are a not for profit, community based club, who is generously supported by volunteer coaches. Most coaches are parents, experienced players, or family members of current / former teams.
We recognise their critical contribution to our success and in addition to our evolving coaching support program of 'the raptors way' their are opportunities within our association to develop further with recognised accreditation.
Whilst many have played basketball previously, some of our most effective coaches had never played the sport previously, but are naturally astute, responsive, caring and communicate well to the age group they are inspiring! Please consider volunteering, even as an assistance coach, this is a rewarding and enriching experience help our future generations of leaders!
It's not just the scoreboard, but how we get their that matters! The Raptors Way is our difference, and something we are truly proud of in the domestic competition. Get in contact to organise a trial, as actions speak louder the roars!
The McKinnon Basketball Association runs the competition that we participate in each weekend. We abide by their (and the relevent Basketball Victoria) policies and game rules. Find our more here.
We cannot offer refunds for change of mind especially once teams have been formed.
Weekend competition will are grade and age dependent, however, any other club who is part of the MBA could be there - for example: Bentleigh Lakers, Brighton Wolves, Carnegie Chargers, Ormond Jets, South Eastern Warriors, Moorabbin Magic, The Saints and The Scalpers Basketball Club.
We encourage all sports as they offer our children the opportunity to develop not just physical skills, but other important life lessons. That said, we love basketball!
To find out more, please register your interest and we would be happy to share more about how you can become part of the Oakleigh Raptors Basketball Journey!
Register Now
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