Big dreams not a tall order for Australia’s young basketball guns
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Teenagers typically won't grow much more than five centimetres in a year, but when Taylor Mole was 14 she shot up a remarkable 17 centimetres.
With an unmistakable talent for basketball and a dream to play for Australia, the growth spurt was welcome but too sudden.
"Because I'd grown so quickly, I had major back problems and had to take time out from the game with bone stress reactions through my spine," Mole said.
Aged 17, the Launceston-born player was invited to relocate to Canberra to live and train at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) as part of Basketball Australia's Centre of Excellence.
"I just immediately said 'yes' because it's been a dream of mine for a few years.
"Coming from Tasmania it was a big achievement as well because there hadn't been anyone from Tassie in the past 10 years."
Inside the 'ghost town'
While the AIS has been described as "deserted" and "a ghost town" in recent years, Basketball Australia's national development program has kept its roots firmly on campus.
The program has been developing world-class athletes since 1981.
NBA stars Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills, Mathew Dellavedova, as well as WNBA and international stars Lauren Jackson, Liz Cambage and Penny Taylor, are all graduates of the Centre of Excellence.
For Mole, following in the footsteps of Australian heroes of the game has kept her focused on her dream to play for the Opals.
"Cayla George played with me in Tasmania, now she's in the WNBA, has been an Opal, and went through the AIS as well," she said.
"I know her personally so it's nice to have her as a bit of an idol."
Mole will move to the US later this year where she begins a four-year scholarship at Colorado State College.
"It's exciting and I'm ready for the next chapter."
Son of a gun
For scholar Callum Dalton, basketball genes run in the family.
He is the son of former Boomer Mark Dalton, who played for Australia at the 1984 Olympics and the 1986 World Championships.
"Pretty much as soon as I was born I was around basketball."
Dalton's also the nephew of Opals player Karen Dalton, who played for Australia at four world championships and the Olympics in 1984 and 1988.
"I started playing formal games when I was about four or five years old, but before that I always had a ball in my hands," he said.
"I think everyone expected me to because when my dad retired, he was the president of the basketball association.
"Dad was here [at the AIS] the second year it opened."
At just 14, Dalton was identified by a Basketball Australia scout who offered him a place at the Centre of Excellence.
A typical week for the players includes five training sessions, up to four weights sessions and a game at the weekend.
"Most of us go to school together, train together and we all live here at the AIS," Mole said.
"We're friends who have become more like family."
And while the AIS is no longer the sporting utopia it once was, Basketball Australia's development program is showing no signs of slowing down.
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ABC .net
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