Before Sam Barton moved to town, there had been no basketball league in Cobar for at least 10 years, there is now a thriving competition.

Sam, a self-confessed basketball maniac from Wollongong, started his teaching career at Cobar High School at the beginning of 2021, teaching science, alongside his wife Rebecca Gray.

As well as kicking off his career, Sam has been key to reviving basketball in the town.

When asked how he and his wife came to teach at Cobar, Sam told the Western Plains App "It was a combination of things, my wife and I we met and started dating/working in difference science fields in the city and we wanted a different pace and lifestyle. We both wanted to pursue a career that allowed us to do that, teaching was on both of our radars".

"A year into doing that, I was looking at the job ads for teachers, we were thinking it would be quite difficult to get a job in the same faculty in the same school and then I found an ad for multiple Science Teachers for Cobar High School," he said.

"So I rang the principal, told him what we were thinking and wanting to do.

"We were fortunate that Cobar had lost its Science teachers so we were both able to get a job and came out here, started teaching, even before we graduated", Mr Barton said.

"When I arrived in Cobar in 2021, there was no basketball competition, so I decided to start running a really simple basketball comp out of the school hall and it kind of just grew from there, to the 60-70 kids and adults that we have today.".

Cobar Bush Basketball League in action at The Youthie. Image: S. Barton

Sam says the League "initially started with whoever showed up, and it grew from there and the high school kids grew from there and were nutty about it."

"The main difficulty at the start, because Cobar is a mining town, is one week there was lots of volunteers and then the next week they would be on night shift.

"As time went on we got a few more volunteers, so in the last 12 months since the Youth Centre has been reopened we have a Under 8's and 8-12 years, girls and boys," he said.

Local mum Louise McKervey, told the Western Plains App that she started helping with Cobar Bush Basketball League to show her love for the sport.

"I missed playing and wanted my kids to have the chance to play. We have never had a comp in town during the nine years I’ve lived here," she said.

The Cobar Youthie has seen interest in basketball soar. IMAGE: Cobar Youth & Community Centre facebook

Mrs McKervey and her children helped attract some of the younger children to the league.

"A few came to start with, then word of mouth spread and we had four full teams with more kids turning up hoping for a place within a month.

"We also have a good group of volunteers for the juniors, so each team has their own coach and the teens have started stepping up to referee. It is such a great thing for Cobar", Louise said.

"The Ladies competition is a bit more informal, there are about 12 or 15 ladies and teenage girls, who play on the court next to the kids on Wednesdays. 

"The men and teenage boys competition has been moved to Fridays, when there are more 18 to 25 year-olds available and looking for something to do. So we're keen to set up a fun night, with a BBQ", Mr Barton said.

Creating the Cobar Bush Basketball League has allowed Sam Barton and his wife get to know their new home.

"Basketball helps us to integrate into the community, get to know the families and it's been fantastic. We are really enjoying the lifestyle in Cobar", Sam said.