The American Samoa Basketball (ASBA) keeps rolling on with more basketball outreaches and clinics, and currently they are hosting a Moso’oi Basketball tournament being held at the Tafuna High School gymnasium.

They are also hosting a clinic for coaches, referees and officials, which began on Tuesday and will conclude tomorrow at the American Samoa National Olympic Committee (ASNOC) office across from the Pala Lagoon on Tasi Street.

The clinic will be taught by FIBA Oceania Development Manager Annie La Fleur, and will cover the current and new rules of the game among other things for the overall improvement of basketball here in the territory and in the Oceania region.

“My job is to travel around the Pacific to help federations in any capacity, from coaches courses to referee clinics, working with the administration as far as strategic plans for the federation,” said La Fleur.

She also stated that she will be running the clinics that will be taking place today at 4:00 p.m. at the ASNOC office.

“I will also be working with two local referees that will be attending the FIBA Accreditation Clinic in Fiji,” she said. She is also helping the Under 19 Team to prepare themselves for the upcoming Under 19 FIBA Oceania Championship also taking place in Fijii. La Fleur, who arrived last Saturday, will be departing this coming Saturday heading to Apia, Samoa.

She stated that one thing that she has seen so far is that American Samoa is on the right track with their National Federation basketball program and with trying to get the community involved. “Throughout the Pacific, some of the federations struggle with working together to have the one goal. I think that the people here in American Samoa with the ASBA have the same vision in heading in the right direction, which is what we like to see. That is what Oceania is trying to do, in helping the federations reach their goals,” she explained.

She said that there are 21 basketball federations here in the Oceania region, with Australia and New Zealand who develop their their own basketball. “We try and step in to help out wherever we can with the other 19 federations,” said La Fleur.

Secretary-Treasurer of the ASBA Paulo Puaauli Amituana’i said that there is still time for anyone, especially those with basketball experience, to take advantage of these free clinics that will be running today and ending tomorrow.

The ASBA is also inviting the public out to their Moso’oi Basketball tournament taking place at the Tafuna High School gymnasium Monday through Friday evenings beginning at 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday mornings, also at the Tafuna High School gymnasium.