Our History

What would become Bayside Basketball first began in 2005 as Mango’s Basketball—founded by Terie and Cynthia Mangakahia. Inspired by their children’s love for the game, the Mangakahias built a club grounded in family values, teamwork, and inclusion.

Before the age of social media, recruitment was grassroots—done via letterbox drops. Families came together on Saturday mornings at the YMCA courts in Victoria Point to form the first teams. Simplicity reigned: players wore donated singlets with Mango’s shorts, hoops lacked nets, and scoreboards were just flip charts with battery-powered timers.

The Mangakahia family were involved in every detail. Cynthia ran “The Desk,” organizing clipboards and scoresheets, while game fees were stored in a humble pencil case. The Mangakahia children refereed, Terie calmly managed games, and his parents manned the BBQ—making post-game chats a tradition. Three generations came together, turning basketball into something more: a family.

The club flourished, soon rebranding to the Bayside Bombers and joining Basketball Queensland with representative teams. By 2011, programs expanded to include Beginner and Advanced Biddy Ball, and the club fielded over 20 teams across five age divisions.

In the same year, Terie and Cynthia passed the torch. The club was restructured into the Bayside Basketball Association, with a new committee taking the reins—ensuring the club's future was bright while its values remained intact.