Our History
History
2009
Helping Hoops came to life in 2009, born from our Founder Adam McKay’s vision to offer Melbourne’s youth a more accessible pathway to the game of basketball.
“I wanted to break down barriers and provide young people with opportunities to participate in after-school activities. At the time, I assumed there was a basketball charity out there already in Melbourne, running free programs for kids who didn’t have access to the sport. I wanted to volunteer.”
To his surprise, Melbourne was yet to be home to an organisation with a mission to do just that. Spurred by this discovery, Helping Hoops was born, forging a new pathway with a clear focus; one with inclusion at its core, built for participation over competition and relationships over performance, fostering a community that not only reflected an increasingly diverse Melbourne, but one that dismantled the barriers of cost and transportation that for so long had prevented “everyone’s game” from truly being such.
2010
Adam’s vision came to life on October 5th, 2010, when Helping Hoops offered its first official session.
The first Helping Hoops session took place in October 2010 under the banner of “Special Olympics West”, targeting young people with disabilities in Broadmeadows. Two coaches and a handful of participants would mark the beginning of a journey that has grown to impact communities across Melbourne.
2011
Over the next 12 months, our identity began to take shape in the face of rapid growth; we expanded our reach from Melbourne’s west to also serve the Fitzroy and Dandenong communities, offering programs to young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds alongside all-abilities sessions for children with additional needs.
As we continued to build our identity, our reach extended to three programs, offering sessions to young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds in Melbourne’s Dandenong and Fitzroy community housing estates.
2012
Special Olympics West expanded to Croxton, with Helping Hoops running five weekly programs by 2012. Rapid growth led to the formation of our first committee and an expanded coaching team, growing from one to three with the addition of Omar Coles and Tegan Cunningham.
Melbourne United (then Melbourne Tigers) joined as our first charity partner, offering game-night experiences and connecting our programs to the broader basketball community.
As our reach grew, our mission remained the same – breaking down barriers of cost and transport that had long limited access to the game. This saw Helping Hoops enter competitions for the first time, including the South Sudanese and Eltham–Dandenong Tournaments, giving many players their first experience of organised basketball.
2012 also marked the first Charity Shootout – a 24-hour free-throw event where participants took 15-minute shifts through the night. 4,576 shots made, $5,000 raised, and the beginning of an annual tradition.
2013 – 2014
Through 2013 and 2014, we focused our efforts on promoting the sustainable growth of the organisation, looking ahead to the future of Helping Hoops. Backed by a team of dozens of volunteers, we established our brand within the community, garnering the support needed to become a more strategic, efficient, and effective organisation.
During this time, Helping Hoops launched the Ambassadors Program, gaining the help of inspiring role models from the heights of Australian basketball; Chris Anstey, Lance Hurdle, and Tegan Cummingham would represent the inaugural members, promoting the organisation’s mission to our largest audience yet and helping expand our reach even further.
2015–2017
Over the coming years, Helping Hoops deepened its presence in the community, further bringing Adam’s original vision to life. A stronger focus on digital storytelling allowed us to document our impact while sharing the experiences of our participants – the heart of Helping Hoops.
By the end of 2017, we had grown to a portfolio of 10 programs, with a strong presence across inner-city public housing estates in Fitzroy, Richmond, North Melbourne, and Prahran. We expanded our all-abilities offering and extended into suburban communities including Werribee and Dandenong.
As the organisation gained momentum, new opportunities emerged to connect participants with the broader basketball world. For the first time, Helping Hoops alumni returned from collegiate careers in the United States to share their journeys with the programs they once attended.
Five years on from the first Helping Hoops session, Adam’s vision had created a pathway into the sport – with lasting, generational impact beginning to take shape.
2018
As our relationships within our communities deepened, the diversity of needs within each session grew. This gave way to the design of the Future tier of programs, aimed at continuing the relationships we formed with younger participants into their adolescence, recognising a demand for not only tailored basketball sessions, but for targeted support too.
In 2018, we added another dimension to the Helping Hoops mission with the introduction of our Power programs, a session coached for and by young women. Power would grow to four programs, reaching Werribee, Kensington, Fawkner, and North Melbourne. The Melbourne Boomers would soon join our efforts, offering game-night experiences for our Power participants and connecting our players to a WNBL powerhouse.
2019
After expanding to 12 locations and hundreds of participants, Helping Hoops founder Adam McKay stepped down as Executive Director in 2019.
“With the ‘levelling up’ of Helping Hoops, I now feel I am ready to move into what my next challenge in life might be. I have never been more proud of what we have achieved together.”
Our growth didn’t falter. We launched our fifth public housing program soon after, this time introducing the wider Kensington community to HH, landing with immediate success. In the months following, HH would gain the support of both Ben Simmons and Nike, iconic names in the realm of basketball and partnerships that helped elevate our reach to new heights. The impact of their support would be seen almost immediately, with the 2019 Charity Shootout going on to raise over $88,000. This was the first year we moved away from the 24-hour format, instead hosting a weekend-long event at MSAC in the heart of Melbourne, attracting more than 120 shooters and setting a new standard for our annual fundraiser.
2020
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 saw all 13 of our programs come to a halt. Continuing our impact, our coaches ran virtual workouts twice a week. As Melbourne moved to postcode-based restrictions, our coaches and volunteers across the community looked to host small group sessions on their local courts. While our on-court impact was narrowed, we worked hard to continue developing our reach and presence.
2021
As restrictions began to lift, our partnership with Nike allowed us to gift all our participants with basketballs, and the opening of HH Ambassador Chris Goulding’s Hoop City strengthened the pathway we could offer participants to high-level competitive basketball. Nike’s support would extend to the FitzRoy Program, where a major overhaul of the Atherton Gardens court would begin, eventually setting the scene for a global marketing campaign featuring our own local Bounce ballers.
2022
2022 saw Nyidier Riak, a former Bounce and Power participant, become a head coach after returning from her time playing college basketball. Another full-circle moment for Helping Hoops, Nyidier expanded our Power offerings, which would now reach 3 weekly programs. 2022 also welcomed the Dave Zwolenski Award, named in memory of our much-loved volunteer, which recognises the contribution of our incredible team of volunteers.
2023
Helping Hoops’ partnership with Melbourne United continued to strengthen, and in 2023, we introduced the MU Mentorship Program, offering personal development and exposure to the inner workings of MU to a select group of our participants. Our network continued to grow, with participants invited to the NBA Global Academy, Boomers vs The World Tour, and the Future Sunshine League. Our organisation continued to remove the barriers that had been placed on so many of our talented players as they chased their hoop dreams.
2024
In 2024, Helping Hoops mourned the loss of our founder, Adam McKay, on the 11th of April. Survived by his wife and two young daughters, Adam’s legacy was enshrined in our organisation through his 14 years of tireless commitment to opening the sport of basketball to all of Melbourne’s youth.
“Adam, you left us too soon. We promise to continue your legacy, and you will always be remembered for your ambition and strive to inspire.” In loving memory of Adam Glen McKay 1981–2024
2025
2025 marked 15 years of Helping Hoops. From one humble program to 13 weekly sessions sprawled across Melbourne, our impact has grown to serve hundreds of community members. 13 coaches, an incredible team of volunteers, and an unwavering support network have underpinned a decade-and-a-half of free basketball sessions, removing the inhibitors faced by our city’s most vulnerable, and ensuring everyone’s game remains accessible to everyone.
Our Partners and Sponsors
We work alongside incredible partners and sponsors who share our vision for stronger, more connected communities. Their support helps us deliver free programs, expand our reach, and create lasting impact for young people who need it most.
Whatever it takes, I want to make sure these guys get what they want out of life
