While Emily Attard was refereeing an under-8s basketball game, she noticed three children with disabilities sitting on the sidelines. 

After the game 23-year-old Attard learnt it was the first time many of the team had made it onto the court for an entire game.

Seven of the children were autistic, or had an intellectual or physical disability. One child's parents had never seen him play for more than a couple of minutes.

Wondering what other sporting opportunities were available for kids with a disability, Attard was motivated to explore other competitions.

She couldn't find any inclusive competitions for young people with disability to play beyond 12 years old, so got to work making one of her own.

"That's where the idea and inspiration for Specialist Hoops came from," Attard said.

"[I thought], what can I do to keep [true to] basketball's motto of 'everyone's game'?"

Embracing an equal playing field

Specialist Hoops provides safe, supportive spaces where people living with a disability can play basketball across two locations in Melbourne's west.

Sessions run for about 45 minutes and focus on skills development, gameplay and socialisation. There are five to 60 participants at each session.

Michael (20), a carpentry apprentice and Gabriel (23), a university student, both joined Specialist Hoops because they love sport, and in particular, basketball. 

"I started at Specialist Hoops to play basketball [and] to meet other kids who are on the spectrum like me," Gabriel said.

"Specialist Hoops changed my life."

While Michael said he enjoyed learning new methods of playing and improving his game, the program has provided him with much more than that:

"It has taught me self-control and discipline while playing a team sport," he said.

While the driving force behind Specialist Hoops is to build community, acceptance of the program from within the broader community wasn't immediately forthcoming.

Finding court space is a common challenge, but Attard said it was particularly hard because of the program's focus on people of all abilities. 

"[I believe] It was made a lot more difficult for us … [that was] one of our biggest challenges to get up and running and to start with," she said.

However, Attard said acceptance of the program had grown over time, and their main challenges now were finding volunteers and encouraging people to try something new.

She believes the connections the participants make, and relationships they build, are the most significant aspects of the program.

"The kids get a sense of belonging," she said.

"They find an identity that they can match with, and it allows them to have that community of being able to make friends, being able to feel like, 'Oh cool, I get to go to basketball tonight … I get to have fun running around doing something I love'.

"It's a place where people are able to feel safe. They don't feel judged about playing sport or who they are."

Building elite inclusive basketball pathways

Attard has completed a Bachelor of Sports Management and Business and she sees a world of opportunities when it comes to access and inclusion in basketball.

One opportunity is the pathway for kids with disability to transition into a more competitive space, with Specialist Hoops supporting players to develop through extra training with a focus on gameplay and skill development.

Attard said they recently had a small group of four players training together weekly in preparation for Victorian State tryouts and another seven players who have successfully integrated into mainstream teams.

"Without being able to play at a high level and being able to continue playing at a high level throughout the year, you're only taking away your ability to get better," Attard said.

"Then coming into the Ivor Burge Championship [a national basketball championship for athletes with intellectual impairment] and then the Australian teams for the Pearls and Boomerangs … you're not at the best level you can be at."

Attard says some of the biggest gaps when it comes to access are in regional areas. Often the only time regional players get to play throughout the year is at the Ivor Burge Championships.

"We've got girls who we've helped seek out personal one-on-one training because they don't have programs to access to play basketball," Attard said.

Specialist Hoops is in its seventh year and the values behind its creation haven't changed. No-one gets left behind.

For Attard, her involvement in community sport provided her with plenty of positive experiences and she's thrilled to be able to give back.

"I couldn't have imagined the amount of work we have done in this space," she said.

"Specialist Hoops has become more than just a basketball program, [it's] a continually growing family, a safe space for families to meet other families and for individuals to grow.

"You can't take that feeling [of community and belonging] away from someone once they've found it.

"They just want to keep coming back for more."

Jo White is passionate about amplifying the voices of girls and women and is the host and producer of Pause Beyond the Court, a podcast prioritising the wellbeing of female ballers on and off the court. 

ABC Sport has partnered with Siren Sport to elevate the coverage of women and non-binary people in sport.