Our Story

It was a wet rainy night in a small townhouse in Woodcroft Estates in Blacktown shire; Stephen Ridgeway Jr decided to write a business plan to create Australia’s first National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Basketball Association entirely operated & owned by blackfullas.

After writing everything up on his old put together computer from parts thrown out by his neighbours, he went to his parents house that afternoon to talk to his mother, Dianne Ridgeway, first about the new venture; & later that afternoon, his father, Stephen Ridgeway Snr, walked in the house, sat down & they talked about it in length; Dianne & Stephen Snr said it was a great idea.

A few hours went by & Nikita Ridgeway, Stephen Jr’s sister, walked in the front door from university studying Graphic Design & said what you fullas up to; there was a pause & Dianne, Stephen Snr & Stephen Jr looked up & said, sit down your brother has a great idea.

A few months later, in 2006, NATSIBA presented the 1st Annual National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Basketball Championships for A Grade Men, A Grade Women, U18’s Boys, U18 Girls, U16 Boys, U16 Girls, U12 Boys and U12 Girls at NSW States Sports Centre in Homebush, Sydney to be held Annually in a different state, allowing every community the chance to Host the event and bringing communities (MOB) together from Sydney (2006), Melbourne (2010), Adelaide (2011), Perth (2007), Darwin (2008), Cairns (2009), Hobart (2012) and Canberra (2013).

The players say the highlights are connecting with Mob from all over & the A Grade Men, A Grade Women 3 Pointer Shootout & Men’s Dunk Competition are deadly.