Young ace shooting for the top

By Gavin Staindl
NARRE Warren youngster Ashlea Stainer has become only the third person in Oatlander basketball history to reach 400 games.
The 15-year-old was showered with praise on 13 February before and after her 400th match against the Dragons.
Unaware that she was about to step on the court to play the milestone match, Ashlea was caught off-guard when she saw a banner featuring her name.
“I had no idea it was my 400th. My family kept it from me then they turned up at the game and I was like, ‘why are they here?’ and when I was having foul shots I saw my banner come out and thought they were joking or something,” she said.
“It was great! All my team-mates were cheering and friends who I haven’t seen for a while were there,” she said.
To top the day off, the Oatlanders thrashed the Dragons and Ashlea rose to the occasion, top-scoring with 21 points.
The Beaconhills student has added the details of this iconic moment to a book of lifelong achievements she keeps to preserve the memories of what is already a blossoming career.
“I write everything down (in my book) … I have (in the book) when I was the highest point scorer for the year with 271 points … I also have when I won highest point scorer three years in a row and when I won the Kristi Harrow award (MVP) when I was playing in the Melbourne under-16s,” she said.
It is no surprise Ashlea has achieved so much given her family heritage.
The family has been heavily involved in Oatlander and Dandenong basketball for years. Both parents have played and officiated locally and her grandfather Ron Burgess was the head basketball referee in Australia and in 2006 was awarded Basketball Victoria life-membership.
“It is cool … to be apart of the club history as well as family history,” she said.
The ambitious teenager now has her eyes firmly set on playing 500 games for her club and planning for a career in college basketball in the United States.
“I am hoping to get the record for 500 games by the time I reach under-20s or 18s.
When asked about a potential future overseas Ashlea responded enthusiastically.
“I really, really want to (play overseas). I am going to America in September with the Melbourne Tigers and my ambition is to play overseas in a college in America.
“I have already begun planning for it. I have chosen my subjects around what I need to get into a college,” she said.
For now though, Ashlea is happy with what she has achieved so far.
“It’s pretty cool.”