At just fifteen years old, Isaiah Poinen has left the courts of Perth to chase his dream of playing basketball in the U.S.
Competing with AUSA Hoops, this rising star is hoping to turn his passion into a professional career on the world’s biggest stage.
For the teenager from Perth Hills, playing basketball on American soil seemed unlikely.
The biggest changes Isaiah had to adjust too were the crowds, courts and American accents.
“I had a lot of nerves going into it without really knowing what to expect.”
“But once I played the first game and got into it a little bit… then it started to get a bit easier going into the games”.
Having played basketball since the age of seven, the young athlete’s dream to compete in an American tournament came true when he was selected for the AUSA Hoops basketball team in June last year.
AUSA Hoops Program Director, Jordan Mullan, runs a high-performance basketball platform to support talented athletes who may not have had the chance to compete internationally through the more traditional pathways.
“AUSA was founded in 2013 with the intention of helping to identify Australian talent… to explore avenues to continue their basketball careers, as well as…their studies beyond high school, with a view of pursuing US collegiate scholarship opportunities”, says Jordan.
Under the high scrutiny local colleges and games face, Isaiah found the atmospheres tense, yet a great chance to embrace the challenge
“It was a lot more physical than what we play [in Australia], way more intense.”
AUSA Hoops has a proven history of success, with many athletes recruited by college scouts and now excelling at elite levels across the U.S.
With more than 250 athletes receiving U.S. scholarships since 2013, AUSA continues to succeed, having 55 athletes in the collegiate system in 2024 and expecting more for this coming season.
“. ..there is in excess of about 50 to 70 kids currently in the US that are our alumni, that will be playing college basketball this coming season”.
Jordan ensures that the program provides their athletes with exposure to the high level of basketball in America and insight into the lifestyle and demands of a student-athlete.
“A big part of what we do is the exposure and experience inside of what is collegiate life or college life, should you be successful in potentially earning a scholarship down the track…”
The experience aims to foster personal growth and maturity in these young athletes as they adapt to the responsibilities of college life over the two-and-a-half-week competition.
“They do have to deal with their own laundry, share a room with a teammate, be in a dorm, learn to be responsible for their daily schedule…[and] it builds a level of resilience for most of these kids.”
“It will be potentially the first time they’ve travelled overseas, let alone travel overseas without their parents…”
Although Isaiah missed his family and friends back in Perth, he remained focused on basketball and found support in his teammates.
“I got to bond with everyone, not just our teammates, everyone in the dorms. You got the opportunity to make new friends and meet different people.”
Looking back on his time with AUSA Hoops in the United States, the young athlete feels he has learnt a lot from the opportunity.
“… I think my level would definitely go higher now that I’ve had the experience to play over there against a lot better competition.”
