The Barrie Royals basketball team is celebrating a huge milestone.

The youth basketball club celebrated its 30th birthday on Monday with a free throw competition. Terry Olaskey co-founded the Barrie Royals three decades ago with fellow high school teacher John Knapp.

“There were very few programs for our high school students to play basketball after school, so we thought it would be good for the community to have some place for the kids to play,” says Olaskey.

In 1985, the team was made up by a group of 15 grade nine boys. Today, the program has expanded to include 22 teams, which accounts for more than 200 boys and girls.

The Royals program hasn't just grown in terms of numbers. It's developed players who have gone on to compete for national teams and also landed scholarships at Canadian and U.S. universities. 

Olaskey says he never imagined the organization would grow to the size it has, in fact, the Royals are seeing a record number of signups due to the exploding popularity of basketball.