Basketball On The Internet.

SOUTH Australian basketball is in such a parlous state (pun intended) I cannot see a way forward while the current administration remains in control.

As a long-time lover of the sport, it disturbs me immensely that in six years at the helm, Basketball SA chief executive Mark Hubbard has only been a part of one press conference and that was recently and in conjunction with the Adelaide 36ers on the future of the Adelaide Arena.

I met with Hubbard a year ago when he felt we needed to discuss several criticisms I had levelled at his administration for its handling of the State league finals and the annual medal presentation dinner.

There was the issue of West's women playing against Forestville in a preliminary final while the same night Forestville's men played West in a preliminary final.

West's women and Forestville's men had finished higher up the ladder and so had won the right to host the games.

Surely common sense dictated that instead of splitting the same two clubs' supporters across two venues, that BSA step in to create a double-header at Adelaide Arena - a neutral venue, basketball's headquarters and also the sight for the grand finals a week later.

It may have been unpopular with the coaches who had the inestimable benefit of "homecourt advantage'' but it would have made their fans happy.

And to some extent, the highest level of basketball played in the state is supposed to have entertainment value, isn't it?

And it is the BSA's competition, after all.

If the CEO doesn't want to step in and say: "this is the best course of action'' then something is amiss, surely?

Once again in the first week of this year's finals, Forestville's men were hosting North Adelaide in their qualifying final at Wayville while North Adelaide was hosting Forestville in the women's qualifying final at Hillcrest Stadium, at the same time.

Common sense prevailing? Leadership pushing the game's best interests ahead of a club's best interests?

No. Still in the "too hard'' basket so the two clubs' supporters can divide into two venues.

So Hubbard and I met and chatted for two hours last year which was when I asked him how long he had been in the CEO role?

He said "five years''.

I asked how many press conferences he had held in that time and he said none.

Now think about that for just a moment.

Five years and the CEO of BSA has not had one single thing to announce.

Not one.

No launch for the annual State League season.

No Grand Final Week press conference to introduce the captains to the media at large. (There's 10 potential press conferences right there!)

No new stadia announcements or revelations.

Just the tired old standards such as Wayville Stadium soon going to five courts - been hearing that since last century and it still has three - participation numbers, Aussie Hoops going well ... all the usual adminspeak of talking at the converted.

That's a bit of a national problem, frankly. I mean, preaching to the converted about how great things are travelling at grassroots levels. Or how highly we rank worldwide.

I work in the media and we service the greater population, not a basketball-specific world.

I know participation numbers carry virtually no clout in Sport Department editorial conferences at newspapers, TV or radio stations and even though traditional media is undergoing overhaul, can't see that changing anytime soon.

Our international standing also is only of interest around medal-winning times at Olympics. For the other 206 weeks of every four years, mainstream Australia doesn't give a toss if basketball is ranked third, fifth, 9th or 11th by FIBA.

We underplay our sport in our country as if we have an inferiority complex.

Why?

Do we have an inferior product?

I would suggest no, we do not. But unless people running our sport treat it with due reverence and passion, why should people outside our sport give it any attention?

Which brings me back to SA where I fear we lead the nation in not taking our own sport seriously but merely printing draws, running games, compiling results and tables until the season concludes and the next one rolls around.

Five years without a single BSA press conference and now six years without a BSA press conference.

Hubbard's one appearance before the media was to sit beside 36ers CEO Leeanne Grantham as the unknown future of basketball's best venue in Australia was debated.

Leaders need to lead so the questions have to be asked.

South Australia Metro junior teams regularly underachieve yet no criticism or scrutiny of any kind can be levelled at any of our elite development programs which, clearly, have let the state down.

And it is not as if the BSA hierarchy is unaware of the problems of blinkered, entrenched, repitive programs, or of coaching appointments that take head scratching confoundment to unparallelled levels.

But what does it do?

Well, it occasionally runs a survey, then largely ignores its conclusions.

The petulance and immaturity of SA coaches of late has led to at least one suspension and to a hole being punched by a coach in a change-room wall in front of shell-shocked and terrified teenage girls. Every one connected to the state programs knows the story.

So much for the state experience being a great experience.

Our referees also seem to be a law unto themselves and some of the younger ones obviously pay little heed to what umpiring observers have to offer, with, strangely, impunity.

We hear we can't risk losing refs but are they really so fragile? Few I've dealt with can't handle themselves but factionalism remains ingrained. Many of today's newer breed have a feel for the rules but very little for the game or its participants, but that's an area to dwell on another day.

We have a  BSA Commission which has its hands tied by the inordinate power now wielded by SA Church and SA Country, a legacy of the model concocted years ago when the State Government "rescued" basketball in SA.

It's a flawed model but we can discuss revolution too on another day.

Kids are leaving our sport and while no-one should have any axe to grind with those rich clubs which continue to grow richer through the recruitment of better players from lesser clubs - kids are entitled to seek better programs, no dispute - the BSA still should be working to safeguard the future of the entire basketball population, not just the interests of the wealthy and powerful.

It seems like almost every year there are new venues sprouting up all over Melbourne yet Adelaide's mainstream basketball is dungeoned in sub-par facilities which hardly entice newcomers to flock to our sport.

On the back of some memorable Boomers and Opals moments in London, there will be an upsurge of interest in our game.

But a kid who wants to play for Woodville and walks into St Clair Wreck-reation Centre, or a potential Bearcat walking into Port Adelaide Stadium - I could cite more examples but why spoil you? - will hardly be dazzled by the facilities in SA.

There are exceptions, of course, but even the best venue in the country now is in danger of being lost to the sport, so what is there to fill South Aussies full of excitement under BSA's passionless and visionless model?

It's time the people who care about the game returned from the woodwork and the opportunists who use our game as a stepping-stone to greener sporting pastures were shown the door.