Kym West
28 July 2025
Victoria - Basketball Victoria recently joined forces with Deakin University to support an international education initiative, welcoming the inaugural Global Consulting Project cohort from Ohio University to Australia.
Over two weeks, 18 sports management students from Ohio University immersed themselves in Melbourne’s vibrant sporting culture while working closely with Basketball Victoria (BV) to explore ways to grow participation in four of its key inclusion programs. The students were divided into groups and tasked with developing strategies tailored to each program, delivering final presentations and detailed reports that BV will now use to help guide future development.
One group focused on the All-Abilities Program and developed a new campaign titled Courts4All, designed to connect communities through pop-up events, targeted marketing, and a refreshed visual identity. Their concept included a unique logo incorporating yellow, an international colour of awareness for intellectual disability and aimed to increase visibility and participation across the state.
As part of their learning experience, the cohort visited the State Basketball Centre for a deep dive into the sport's community ecosystem. Their visit included a facility tour and a hands-on wheelchair basketball session facilitated by BV’s Inclusion and Diversity team. The students also explored Melbourne's iconic sporting venues, including the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), AAMI Park, Marvel Stadium, the Melbourne Olympic Park precinct where the Australian Open takes place, as well as visiting the Australian Sports Museum and enjoying cultural highlights like the Queen Victoria Winter Night Market.
The BV Inclusion and Diversity team attended the students’ final presentations at Deakin University and were impressed by the passion, insight and innovation the students brought to their work. Each group’s report offered practical and creative ways to help strengthen inclusion across the basketball landscape.
Basketball Victoria’s Women and Girls Participation Manager, Kat Gourley embraced the opportunity to promote the way that basketball can be used to build community, "Being able to provide insight into the role that basketball plays in Victoria, especially the impact that BV's inclusion programs can have on communities who have historically been underrepresented in basketball, has been a very rewarding experience."
While Deakin and Ohio University have maintained a longstanding academic relationship, this marked the first time students travelled to Australia specifically to examine the local sports industry. The project was made possible through the support of the Centre for International Business Education (CIBED) and strengthened by the involvement of BV board member and Deakin Associate Professor of Sport Management, Steve Swanson.
For Basketball Victoria, the collaboration offered a fresh global perspective and a rewarding opportunity to share its values and commitment to inclusive sport with the next generation of sports leaders.
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