TAREE Basketball officials will consider extending the highly successful primary school competition next year.

Played on Saturday morning, the competition has run for the past three years, starting in October and ending in December.

"We started with 12 teams three years ago,'' Taree Basketball's Paul Healy said.

"This year we had 28 sides. We used to call it the Saturday morning competition, but we had to drop the morning this year because we still had games going at 2pm.''

Mr Healy said no limit would be placed on the number of sides.

"We'll play into the night if we have to,'' he assured.

Mr Healy revealed starting a competition in winter is 'on the agenda.'

"We'll see what the response is. I know we'll be up against sports like league, football, netball and hockey, but if there's enough interest there we'll look at it.''

He admits to being at a loss to explain why the concept has proved to popular.

"It seems to work where the teachers and parents work together,'' he said.

"I suppose they're just looking to give the kids something positive to do on a Saturday. And we work hard to ensure the games start on time and that we have two referees for each match. And the fact we play no matter what the weather probably helps.

"And the success has been spread around. Wingham was the dominant school when we started, then Taree West and now St Josephs.''

The younger age divisions are non-competitive with the senior teams playing off for the Saxby's Stadium Shield.

"It's been one of the more successful promotions we've had,'' Mr Healy agreed.

He hopes this will lead to more teams starting in the high school grades played on Tuesday afternoons next year.

"A number of kids in year six this year have said they want to keep playing in 2015 when they're in high school. So hopefully we'll get an increase, although high school is a different market.''

Mr Healy added the primary school competition had also led to an increase in teams for the women's competition next year.

"We have a few parents who used to play and who have come along to watch their kids in action on Saturday,'' he said.

"They've got keen again and want to have a game. We look like picking up two or three extra sides out of that.''

Women's and men's competitions are played on Tuesday nights, the men reverting from Friday evenings earlier this year.

"We finished with four teams in the men's,'' Mr Healy said.

"We probably had the numbers for six, but we went with four to ensure all the teams had plenty of players on their roster.

This meant we didn't have any trouble with forfeits.''

This will be reviewed next year, Mr Healy admitting a six side competition makes for greater variety.

He said the men would be staying on Tuesdays.

"Friday's not a good night. People want to do other things on a Friday,'' he said.

The senior and high school competitions will be underway in February.