The ball is in council’s court as a 10-year-old Waroona boy rallies community support for new basketball ring
![Aspiring basketball star Charlie Reilly (middle) with his mother Emma Reilly and younger brother Rory Reilly, 8.](https://images.thewest.com.au/publication/C-15396619/345e7967809512ddc485acb1d3cd558ee3aca5b2-16x9-x0y322w6174h3473.jpg?imwidth=810&impolicy=wan_v3)
Few people inspire 10-year-old Charlie Reilly more than the stars of the NBA.
Playing basketball for half of his life, he wants nothing more than to grow up and follow in their footsteps.
But with little access to basketball courts in Waroona, Charlie has found himself struggling to play his favourite sport.
Rather than giving up on the dream, he has taken matters into his own hands, writing a letter to council and rallying other kids in the community to support his petition to council for a new basketball ring.
![Charlie Reilly 10, has got a huge portion of the community on-board with his hopes to have a new basketball ring installed in town.](https://images.thewest.com.au/publication/C-15396619/7c90b7c8ab0987f1308935b639f454eaf4010e68.jpg?imwidth=810&impolicy=wan_v3)
Charlie said watching his younger brother Rory, 8, having the “best time of his life” zipping around the newly developed Railside Park, he can not help but feel left out.
“I don’t like riding bikes at all, I am terrible at it,” he said.
“But I love basketball.”
Charlie wrote a letter to council asking for new playing grounds but met with disappointment.
Rather than giving up, he began rallying the community to gather support.
Knocking on doors of family and friends, Charlie started growing a list of supporters from the community and even taking to involving both of the local schools to rally support.
With a list of close to 100 signatures from kids around town all in support of a new basketball ring, Charlie is determined to make his dreams a reality.
“It’s a challenge but I like a challenge,” he said.
“I want to shoot so I’m just gonna stick with it.”
Charlie’s mother Emma said she was so proud of her son for taking action.
While the family are immensely grateful for everything council has done with the development of Railside Park, Mrs Reilly said with Waroona Recreation Centre not always open and the hoop in town suffering from old age, it would be great to see Charlie’s petition gather steam.
“He knows he might not get one but it’s not about whether or not he get it, it’s more about him learning that if he really wants something, to chase your dreams and get people on board,” she said.
Mrs Reilly said it was important for this message to come from the children in the shire as the petition is about what the kids want, not the adults.
“I am really proud of him and I want him to know whatever he wants to do, we’re there to support him,” she said.
“If you put in the effort, sometimes you get really good things in return and sometimes you don’t, but that’s all part of the lesson.”
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