Such is the case of Tamworth Thunderbolts captain Izack Fuller, whose relationship with his stepfather was reinforced by a mutual love of basketball.

Fuller's mother, Bernadette, was remarried to Neil Wood when he was just six years old, and Wood went on to become his father figure growing up.

Though both of his biological parents came from athletic backgrounds, neither cared much for basketball.

Wood, however, did.

So he and the young Fuller bonded while watching videos of Michael Jordan highlights online.

After spending the first decade of his life trying his hand at myriad sports - including boxing, running, and athletics - Fuller finally gave basketball a go in his early teens, and "just fell in love with it".

"I just tried everything to see what I liked, and then I tried basketball and it's been great," he said.

When he initially took up the sport, Wood was his first coach and taught him the basics.

Since then, Fuller has gone on to represent the Country NSW side, and played for the Thunderbolts throughout the youth divisions.

2022 is the 20-year-old's first year in a captaincy role, which was designated to Fuller by Thunderbolts coach Mitch Balderston. He has relished the opportunity to lead the Tamworth basketball team, and said the responsibility of leadership has inspired him to become a better teammate.

"I try and be a little bit unselfish and move the ball," Fuller said.

"You're only as good as your worst player, so I try to get everyone involved and give everyone the confidence to come to the court, do their best, and we can win some games."

Balancing captaincy and representative basketball is demanding, and on top of that he is also completing the final year of a financial planning degree online through Southern Cross University.

"[Juggling everything] is difficult. There are a lot of late nights, but I love it. I love doing both," Fuller said.

Despite his overflowing list of duties, the hardest thing about Tamworth's return to representative basketball, in Fuller's opinion, was acclimating to the physical demands of the sport.

"Getting back into it after COVID was hard, our legs aren't used to it," he said.

"We had to get fit and learn how to deal with fatigue. That's been our biggest challenge at the moment, but we're getting fitter."

But all the effort was worthwhile. On the back of three straight wins, the Thunderbolts are steadily climbing the Youth League Men's Division 2 ladder.

As the team continues to improve, Fuller believes they will "have a good chance at competing with the top four".

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