History

1997

Birth of Starlites

The founder of the club, Ms. Marie Therese Zammit changed the first official team (Sliema Wives) into a women’s social club, the first junior women’s team originating from the parish priest’s ‘dutrina’ list.

1999

Introduction of the men's categories

The club eventually progressed and developed other sectors. The statute was eventually changed to allow males into the club.

2000

Focus on youth sector

The development of the mini basketball and youth sectors were a milestone in the development and growth of Starlites basketball club. This focus on the youth sector commenced in the year 2000 when Ivan Riolo was given the responsibility of developing the mini-basketball sector, expanding over the following years, making the mini-basketball and junior sector the largest basketball community on the island presently catering for more than 400 families.

2013/2014

Commencement of successes

Following the established mini-basketball nursery in the year 2001, season 2013/14 saw the first successes in the Junior sector. This season saw Starlites BC winning the U14 girls category unbeaten as well as the U16 boys championship. This season gave way to a decade of multi-successes across all basketball categories within the MBA. Amongst some of these noteworthy successes are the multiple championship successes across categories U14 and U16 boys, winning this for nine years in succession, U16 girls, multiple U19 boys & girls championship wins as well as successive wins in categories U23 men, and five times in succession U23 women between seasons 2019 to 2024. These multi-successes were led and guided by both local and international coaches who dedicated time and efforts working with our athletes in our club. These coaches have unquestionably impacted not only the basketball programmes but the athletes’ motivations to challenge themselves further. Starlites Naxxar BC have received different forms of support from various sponsors throughout the years. Amongst such sponsors, Starlites Naxxar BC have in the past years been supported by GIG and FIJO.

2014/2015

Starlites in division 1

Season 2014/15 saw an important milestone in the development of Starlites BC following the introduction of the men division one team in the National league after winning the division (ii) championship in the year 2011/12. This milestone saw the development of the project Starlites Virtus as the men's senior team of the club. This agreement between Starlites and Virtus offered our young and promising athletes the target of playing in the top league and competing and training with professional players without creating a substantial financial burden on the club which at that time was a target still out of reach. Through this agreement between Starlites and Virtus, management and running of the full club became less centralised, allowing for a division and dissemination of responsibilities within both entities - Starlites to work in the developing sectors and exposing the more talented athletes in the first league, while Virtus to work in siding the best possible competitive team in the national league by recruiting established athletes to help lead and guide the up and coming emerging youngsters. This agreement and project lasted for two seasons which apart from winning a number of top honours for the club, gave Starlites Naxxar BC the experience needed to further develop and grow in this top tier competition. From then onwards, Starlites Naxxar BC became an established and top basketball team and has been ever present not only in championship play offs across seasons, but also winners in the all local basketball competitions.

2019

Organising body

Starlites Naxxar Basketball club is run and managed by a working committee made up from a number of volunteers, led by the President of the club, Dr. Ivan Riolo. The club committee is made up of five members and is heavily supported by volunteers, helpers and team followers who help link the various categories together as well as manage the different responsibilities arising across teams in each category.

Starlites today

Starlites Naxxar Basketball Club is a locally established basketball club. It is a qualified voluntary organisation, registered under Sport Malta and a member of the Malta Basketball Association (MBA). Starlites has developed and grown, from a club offering a social purpose to female basketball to a club which is presently participating in all the categories within the Malta Basketball Association.

Presently JSD are the main sponsors of the senior men and women categories, whilst Mazars & Fortizza support the junior categories of the club.

Apart from such tangible honours, the club is proud to have seen young mini-basketball participants grow and flourish both in their basketball careers and personal lives. We take pride in our ‘home grown’ members of the Starlites family, taking on coaching roles across varying categories and contributing within the club in different ways. We believe that building such a family-like community makes Starlites special and acknowledge this continuous development and cycle. Presently a number of coaches within the club have all started out in our mini basketball sector as young participants themselves. This supports the ‘family’ aspect which is a highly appreciated and respected element in the club. Over the past years Starlites players have been representing Malta through the National Basketball team by competing in FIBA and internationally organised tournaments and competitions. Starlites have also proudly supported home grown athletes who targeted taking their game abroad, experiencing more competitive levels.

Starlites Naxxar Basketball is a club which not only targets developing basketball players. Participation and competing within local basketball competitions and tournaments is only a part of Starlites’ yearly agenda. A major objective of our club is embedded within the social domain, seen through the numerous social events organised by the club across the season. Such events include live-ins organised with our juniors, training camps held in Slovenia, Barcelona as well as the popular Loutraki (Greece) Sport Camp, summer morning and evening basketball programmes, the annual basketball marathon, get together social events as well as the recently established and ever growing Starlites Summer Club which offers a holistic varied sport education and creative arts programme to children between 4 and 12 years of age, to name a few.

Starlites basketball aims at providing children of all ages and abilities opportunities for being active, reflecting the very motto of the club ‘Towards an Active Lifestyle’. The mini basketball nursery targets the development of Physical Literacy together with sport specific skills which help our participants move up the ladder of success and develop from participants into athletes. This philosophy drives the mini-basketball sector by offering opportunities to all, irrespective of skill and ability levels by supporting the multi-needs of children approaching mini basketball for different motives. The Junior sectors provide opportunities for those wishing to take the game of basketball to a higher level, competing and increasing their training quality, moving towards the senior categories developed with the purpose of motivating our young, aspiring athletes to reach the highest level locally. Over the years the growth and development of the junior sectors initiated the need to have more than one team in the junior categories. This allowed our young athletes to have opportunities to play and compete without the inappropriate elitist need to only select the more talented athletes to represent the club in the specific junior categories.

A Holistic Journey: Nurturing the Athlete and formation of the person

At Starlites Naxxar BC, the experience is never just about the scoreboard; it is about the journey. As our athletes progress from the foundational years of mini basketball participation climbing through the Junior and Senior categories, the club champions a multi-dimensional approach towards player development. Here at Starlites we believe in nurturing the whole person, working hard on our mission that every child who wears the Starlites jersey grows not just as a player, but as an individual equipped with skills which would be meaningful for life.

Our philosophy is built upon three interconnected pillars. These form the heartbeat and the foundations of the Starlites experience:

The Physical Domain: We provide physical preparation, balancing basketball- specific skill acquisition with age-appropriate strength and conditioning training to build resilient, athletic bodies. We target to embed in each and every participant in the early years of practice a love for physical activity movement and sport.
The Cognitive Domain: Basketball is a game of rapid choices. Our coaching framework challenges athletes to develop sharp decision-making and real-time problem-solving skills within game contexts, fostering cognitive abilities that translate far beyond the basketball court.
The Social Domain: At its core, our club is a community and one big family. We place immense value on the social development of our youth, providing a safe space where they learn to interact, build lifelong friendships, and form a strong sense of self and belonging.

A Calendar of Connection: Off-Court Experiences

To celebrate and emphasize this personal formation, Starlites Naxxar BC organizes a vibrant array of yearly experiences that take our athletes beyond the routine of standard training. These events are designed to solidify friendships, build character, and create lifelong memories.

The Loutraki Sport Camp (Greece): A definitive highlight of our calendar, this popular five-day international sports camp with immersive experience sees our athletes live together in Loutraki, Greece. It is a dense, rewarding environment blending intense physical activity and sports training with educational seminars, interactive workshops, and leadership talks.
Traditions & Celebrations: Back home, the club spirit thrives through a variety of landmark events. From the high-energy, all-day Easter Basketball Marathon to our community-focused Hot Dog Days, the Mini Basketball Picnic Day, and the highly anticipated End of Season Celebration, there is always an opportunity for our families to connect.
Milestones & Community Spirit: We mark the transition of our youngest players with the special End of Mini Basketball Gozo Event at the close of each season. Furthermore, the club remains deeply rooted in social responsibility, hosting numerous fundraising activities and community events during the Christmas and Easter periods.

Pioneering Growth: The ‘Value-Basket’ Project (2026)

In line with this commitment to holistic development, the 2026 season marked a major milestone for the club with the launch of our innovative ‘Value-Basket’ Project. Designed specifically for all Under-14 boys and girls in our club, this initiative brought our youth together in a series of interactive workshops. The project centered around four core pillars:

Respect • Helping Others • Effort • Self-Direction

Rather than keeping these concepts abstract, the ‘Value-Basket’ project targeted to integrate these into daily practices, competitions as well as ‘outside the gym’. Athletes were challenged to explore how these four values manifest not only on the court, but how they are lived and practiced in the outside world, at home with family, in the classroom, and within the wider community.

Through this multi-dimensional approach, Starlites Naxxar BC continues to solidify its legacy. We don’t just teach the game; we use the game to build the leaders, teammates, and citizens of tomorrow.

Starlites’ main aims and targets are to increase the physical active levels of all our participants, families and members and instil in them the love of leading a healthy active and social lifestyle by providing various active opportunities to all. In the coming years the club plans to target other ways of imparting a more holistic sport education experience for its members by embedding a value laden sport philosophy amongst junior players. Apart from this, the club plans to integrate a community outreach programme involving our club members to contribute and volunteer, spending time working with vulnerable members of society. Our dream is to further grow as a club, expanding our programmes and reaching out to many more families. This comes along with different needs, amongst which are the dream of having our own much deserved modernised basketball facility, a need which is felt by all our members.

We welcome you to the official Starlites Naxxar BC website & encourage you to visit the various sections, get a taste of who we are and get to know us better.