Hoops

When did most SA clubs peak in numbers?

Hi guys,

Reading through the many threads associated with club bashing I am very disappointed that these kids are still being the casualties of this political issue. I thought that I would add that I have experienced the small club dilemma personally.

As a youth I played at St Bernards in a strong social competition and was recruited by Torrens Valley. I played through juniors and was lucky enough to have a couple of seasons in division 1 as a junior due to the strength of the team I played in.

Mr Green and the committee took up many battles with BASA to no avail and we were often told to send the quality kids to member clubs to play division 1. We all clung to hope that we were doing the right thing and fought our cause to become a member club ourselves.

Now after playing and coaching for 15 years at Torrens Valley I am involved with the merger with Woodville. Former Cougar players I am involved with love it and we are integrating with Woodville nicely.

My advice to the Magic is not to hold back these kids, push this association through, and develop everyone including coaches to maintain high standards for basketball. Do not worry about what uniform these kids wear, the talented ones get playing division 1 at West or at Woodville or wherever it is that they can be coached into being better players.

There is a massive shortage of quality coaches in this state also. Whilst talent of these kids is undoubted are small clubs pushing hard for development of coaches. At Torrens Valley often the coaches were parents. Until there is a total club foundation at these small clubs which includes more than one team in each age group both male and female, a functioning and financial committee and quality coaches, as well as on court results it is only then that BASA will have opportunity to grant membership and division 1 status. Until them the strugglers resemble the small club I came from, trying hard but not cutting the mustard.

Member clubs currently are struggling because of player shortages and not having quality coaches. This is happening at Woodville with the females. Surely opportunity exists for reasonable adults to enquire about their children going to a member club and providing mutual benefit for players and club.

End Rant.