Shooting for a dream
Sat 10 March 2007
John Hammond, Journalism
Brenton Estorffe, a 16-year-old basketballer from Mountain Creek, had a Christmas break most aspiring sportsmen would envy.
Estorffe was a member of a select representative squad on tour across the east coast of the United States (US) last December.
Chosen from across Australia by state basketball associations, the squad comprised of three junior teams (under 17); one boys side and two girls sides, together with four senior sides (under 19).
They played matches against high school teams from Washington DC, Virginia, North and South Carolina, with the tour ending in a 10 team tournament in South Carolina. 
Estorffe was named in the ‘Team of the Tournament’, receiving a trophy and promotion to the senior’s team for the final tour game.
“That was definitely the highlight of the tour, for sure,” he said.
Representatives and talent scouts from many high schools and colleges attended the games. After the tournament Estorffe’s coach was approached by a scout from a large high school near Richmond, Virginia.
The school was interested in offering Estorffe a 12 month scholarship, once he had completed Year 12 at Mountain Creek State High School.
“I’m just waiting to see if they put the scholarship offer in writing,” he said.
The scholarship involves staying with a billet family, studying and playing for the high school basketball team.
Estorffe is excited by the prospect and the huge opportunity it offers but knows living halfway around the world from his family will be difficult, with homesickness the biggest hurdle.
“I couldn’t knock it back. It would be the first step to pro basketball in the States,” he said.
Since arriving back from the tour, Estorffe has been busy catching up with mates and preparing for his final school year. Add training with his school team and his club side, the Maroochydore Clippers (under 18s), and this young hopeful has been very busy.
Estorffe is determined to put in a concerted effort with his studies so his second love, AFL football with Maroochydore, has had to be shelved, at least for this season. This makes it easier to train and gain selection in the Clippers basketball team to contest the Queensland state titles in Townsville over Easter.
“Yeah, it’s full on but it’s important to do well this year. I want to get into some sort of sport-based study at uni if I can. Hopefully I’ll hear from the school but if I don’t I’ll work my way up to premier league in Brisbane, maybe,” he said.
When not playing Estorffe can often be seen on the sidelines, controlling both junior and senior fixtures as a no-nonsense referee.
With dreams of breaking into the big time in the US or the state leagues here in Australia, he is thankful to his parents for introducing him to the game seven years ago.
Image(s) designed by John Hammond