Aspiring Waroona basketball star excited to see potential hoop progress with 300 residents in support

A 10-year-old Waroona boy has rallied the community to get behind his dream of becoming an NBA superstar, presenting a petition to council to investigate a new hoop in town. Charlie Reilly wants nothing more than to be able to play his favourite sport at Railside Park while his brother enjoys the pump track and skate park. With limited access to indoor courts at the Waroona Recreation Centre, he became determined to make his dream a reality, writing a letter to the Shire of Waroona earlier this year asking them to consider the installation of a hoop in the town’s park. He was met with disappointment but rather than giving up, Charlie pushed on, rallying his community and securing 293 supporters for a petition he presented to council last month. Councillors voted to accept his petition and authorise the chief executive to investigate the proposal, with a future report to be presented back to elected members. Charlie said he was excited to be “one step closer” to getting his hoop. Waroona shire president Mike Walmsley said it was great to see a young resident taking up a cause they believed in so strongly. “It was lovely to see that Charlie got engaged enough to get all those signatures and get that support,” he said. Cr Walmsley said installing a basketball court in Railside Park could be difficult given the potential noise complaints but said those challenges had the potential to be overcome. “We haven’t said no to Charlie,” he said. “Instead we have received his petition, so just leave it up to us to have a look and see what we can do.” Charlie said his classmates now regularly stopped him to see how the basketball hoop was progressing. “Every day I go to school, people say ‘Charlie how’s the hoop going’,” he said. “I wanted a basketball hoop and now it’s gone this far in three months. Hopefully I get it.”