In 1987, Bob Sheppard and Bert O’Grady formed the Goulbourn Stingers Bantam Basketball team. The team was originally formed to give their daughters and other local girls a chance to learn another sport. After a slow 1 – 9 start, the team started to really come around. They finished 18 – 16 and earned a bronze medal at the Ontario Championships in Brantford.
In 1988, Bob and Bert were joined by Doug Arnold who was looking for a place for his son to play. The Goulbourn Basketball Association (GBA) was formed. Three teams competed in 1988-1989; Bantam Girls, Bantam Boys and Midget Girls. Judy Simons was recruited to become the first President and the Association was formed to raise funds, assist in the operation of the 3 teams and administer to the needs of the coaches, players and parents.
In the fall of 1988, the three enterprising founders decided to contact the other Associations in the area to set up a loose formation. The idea was to get coaches from the various categories grouped together to exchange phone numbers and set up tentative schedules. Representatives and coaches from Ottawa, Cornwall, Hawkesbury, Kingston and Smith Falls met at the Richmond Arena and the Eastern Ontario Basketball Association was born. The EOBA now has over 20 Associations and the annual coach’s meeting has long since outgrown its original meeting place with over 100 coaches attending.
Today, GBA is a strong Association with competitive and recreational boys and girls teams from Small Ball to Junior and over 500 members in total. Our teams consist of players and coaches from West Ottawa, Stittsville, Kanata, West Carleton and surrounding areas.
