3on3
So what is 3on3? It's the biggest urban team sport in the world and a whole heap of instant fun. Check it out for yourself Saturday nights at the Palmerston Recreation Centre.
3on3 follows the basic rules of traditional basketball, but it’s played on a half court, each team has three players and instead of a 40-minute game, you play for five minutes at a time. It’s fast, furious and a serious dose of fun.
According to coordinator Rachel Fosdick, limited rules, mixed teams, a drop-in-when-you-can vibe and pumping tunes is a winning formula for the Saturday night comp run by City of Palmerston.
“The players range from 12 to 19 years old and they pull most of the shots. They put together their team and come up with their team names. It’s girls against boys and mixed ages – it’s really free range, where competitive basketball is highly structured,” she said.
Fosdick says the beauty of 3on3 is it can spring up anywhere, and opening the courts on Saturday nights with music, snacks and space is just building on an already pumping scene.
“One thing I love about Palmerston is there’s little half courts dotted all over the place, so young people just start their own informal games everywhere. As long as there’s a ball, they’ll turn it into a game.”
She reckons having no strict structures is probably why it’s so big worldwide.
"There’s 70 kids that play 3on3 at the Palmerston Rec Centre every afternoon with absolutely no adults in there, it’s just a group of teenagers who’ve created their own game.”
Sounds a bit awesome, hey? Get in there and give it a go for a slam dunkin' Saturday night.
