Basketball: 135 teams to compete in Mel Young Easter Classic basketball tournament in Tauranga this weekend

Tauranga Under 16 Boys' Taihe Atger plays against Franklin at last year's Mel Young Easter Basketball Classic. Photo / File

What started in a two-court gym 30 years ago has morphed into a 135-team basketball tournament that will make its fifth consecutive appearance in Tauranga this weekend.

The Mel Young Easter Classic junior basketball tournament begins tomorrow and will include North Island representative teams playing in five grades between under-11 and under-19 age groups.

Tauranga City Basketball has hosted the event for the past four years, making sue of six venues including the Trustpower Arena, Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, Tauranga Boys' College, Aquinas College, Tauranga Intermediate School and Mount Sports Centre. The tournament will use 16 courts and also include teams from Australia.

The tournament concludes with finals on Monday and Tauranga City Basketball Association general manager Mark Rogers says teams will play a minimum of five games.

"It is a great event and the start of the rep season, in terms of competition, for most of the kids. Because of our location most people can drive to the event so we get huge numbers of spectators as well," Rogers says.

"It is a development-focused event and it is an opportunity for the kids to get on the court and play. It is also a chance for coaches to try things out before national qualifying events."

The event is owned by a group called Basketball Pacific, which is made up of associations from around the North Island. The first tournament was run more than 30 years ago and Rogers says the tournament was named after Young three years ago to recognise the work he did for the event as a founder of Basketball Pacific.

The tournament will also include 110 referees and Rogers says it is a big part of the event's development theme.

"We have a heavy focus on referee development and there will be 20 referee coaches working with them over the weekend. Each association brings referees with the teams."

The Tauranga Under-17 Girls A team begin their tournament against Hibiscus Coast tomorrow afternoon and coach Niki O'Brien says he wants his side to enjoy themselves on the court.

"We just talk about execution and our goal is to perform well," O'Brien says.

"It is their first tournament as a team, it is our lead up to nationals and we want to see them attack the hoop and believe and themselves. They are a run-and-gun team and we have a lot of speedsters in the team now."

The team includes New Zealand squad members and O'Brien says they are invaluable to the team.

"It helps having them in the team, they show good leadership and it makes my job easier."