Posted on 7 December, 2007

Starting as member of C grade women’s team the Hideway’s in 1970’s, Ruth first main involvement was in the initial formation of the After School Competition in 1975-76.  As a teacher at Montrose PS, she worked with four other schools to start up the competition for grade 3/4 and 5/6 boys and girls. These early beginnings laid the foundation for the successful after school competition of 2007 featuring 32 schools and over 250 teams.

Ruth’s next project was being involved in the formation of the Montrose Vikings Basketball Club, born out of the Montrose football and netball clubs, she started mothers and daughters teams.

When Greame Taylor and his secretary departed the office in April 1986, Ruth was ask to fill the role of association secretary and work in the office which she has done for the past 21 years.  Her highlights over this period include the building of the Lilydale stadium, 1990’s basketball boom where the numbers of teams exploded, the Cobras men winning the 1985 SEABL championship, the Boomers game in the early 1990’s where 3000 people packed into the court 1 and moving from the back offices in the new offices when the foyer was build.

Ruth remembered some of the changes that have occurred in the past 20 years, “How basketball admin has changed! Fixtures were done on type writers, scoresheets handwritten, everything was manual – ladder calculations, no one in the office knew how to turn the computer on when I started.”

“The greatest thing about Kilsyth Basketball is the people that have put in all those passionate hours, in most cases it was volunteers but also employees.  The Associations greatest assets are its people and nothing can replace this.  It was fantastic to be part of a great group of friends moving in the same direction for the community. 

“My passion for basketball here today as it was in the past, but things were done so much differently.  The heart and soul of Kilsyth is its people’s love of the game and love of Kilsyth. It is that passion that has made us great.”

“The future of Kilsyth Basketball is bright, we are looking to a new generation of administrators, new ideas, and only time will tell us what we can achieve.”

“I would like to say thank you the hundreds of people I have made friends with over the years. They have enriched my life and made Kilsyth Basketball what it is today.  I hope I have been able to contribute to the evolvement of basketball at Kilsyth and their enjoyment of this great game. As much as I am looking forward to retirement there will be lots of people I will miss.”

Ruth’s driving influence within the association for more the 30 years, has been appreciated by the community, Kilsyth Basketball will miss the passion and experience that has create unbelievable success.  We wish Ruth all the best in the next stage of her life.