Ray, Jeannie and Pero Cameron accepting the Sir Lance Cross award on behalf of their mother Mata Cameron.
Ray, Jeannie and Pero Cameron accepting the Sir Lance Cross award on behalf of their mother Mata Cameron.
Northlanders have picked up two major accolades at the Basketball New Zealand Awards in Wellington.
Mata Cameron, who has been a fixture in Northland basketball coaching for many years, received the Sir Lance Cross Award for exceptional services to basketball.
Cameron was not present to accept the award in person on Saturday night as she was coaching in Auckland.
Basketball Northland general manager Josh Port said there was a standing ovation when her name was announced.
"When they read out everything that she has done over the last 40 years and all the things she's been a part of and all the positions she's held, everyone was like 'man, this lady's just phenomenal.'"
Cameron has coached North Harbour and Northland at NBL level, has been assistant coach of the Tall Ferns and coached under-16 and under-20 New Zealand women's teams.
The award was accepted by three of Cameron's five children - Ray, Jeannie and Pero Cameron - on her behalf.
"In true Mata fashion, because she hates attention, she hates accolades, she signed herself up to be a coach for one of our junior teams who were playing in Auckland," Port said.
Northland Basketball nominated Cameron for the award for her many contributions to the sport over a number of years, Port added.
"All the things that she's been a part of, it was cool for her to get that accolade."
In addition to coaching, she has also been a foundation member of Basketball Pacific, Te Tai Tokerau Basketball, Whangārei Basketball Association and Northland Basketball.
Northland Basketball chairman Dave Davies-Colley and general manager Josh Port accepting the Community Partnership Award.
The second Northland win was the Community Partnership Award for the 100 Hoops Campaign to install more basketball hoops for community use.
Port said that since beginning in August last year, they had installed 73 hoops, and were continuing to put in more.
The campaign had also just received funding from GrassRoots Trust for an extra 50 on top of the initial 100 hoops.
Prior to the start of the project, there were only about 11 functional hoops in Northland available for public use.
Port said the award was meaningful as an acknowledgement that they are doing the right things for the Northland community.
"It basically tells us that we're doing something the community needs, and we're seeing great results."
Northland Basketball was not told who nominated them for the award, but were told the person said it was because the campaign was doing something for the future as well as now.
The project cost $130,000 and was funded with donations from GameSide NZ, GrassRoots Trust, Oxford Sports Trust, Sports Northland, and community fundraisers.
The idea for the initiative came after feedback from Northland Basketball's annual survey revealed a lack of spaces and hoops for basketball practice.
