Kicking off on Saturday 180 of the best U12 basketballers in the country were spread into teams and got straight on the court with a varieties of clinics and coaching leading into the first round of games.

Basketball NSW’s Scott Balsar said that while this is the first step towards representing Country, it is also the last time that scores won’t matter to the young players.

“We don’t keep ladders and scores are reset at halftime,” Balsar said.

“It is not about winning but development.” 

The camp is also all about making new friends and socialising, with over 500 players and parents joining the 50 coaches and managers and 30 referees for a BBQ night at the Dome.

After another day of action on the courts on Monday the players will be attending a trivia night at Farrer where they all stay for the duration of the camp.

“The facilities in Tamworth are so fantastic and Farrer really look after us as well,” Balsar said.

“We were going to alternate it every two years between centres but are now going to try and lock in Tamworth every year. The Dome is so good and getting better so we want to keep it here for as long as possible.”