Date: Wed, Oct 14, 2009

Ballarat Basketball Kicks Off New Representative Season

The Bendigo Bank Ballarat Junior Representative teams commence open try-outs this week for the under 14, 16 and 18 age groups. Elite Program Manager Guy Molloy will oversee the coaches during this stage, which will lead to the selection of the Associations junior elite teams for the 2009-10 season.

The teams compete in Victorian Country Championships and also in the prestigious Victorian Junior Basketball League. The VJBL state wide competition is played on a home and away basis on Friday nights and commences with a grading phase in late November and concludes in September next year, during this time no games are scheduled during school holidays and teams would have played 24 games in the Championship season.

The Victorian Junior League is by far the best competition on offer and gives the Ballarat players the opportunity to play against the best players and teams in the State on a weekly basis.

While it is a huge commitment the benefits and opportunities for the players are immense.

The Under 12 boys and girls have already had their try-outs and two squads of 16 players have been chosen to compete at the Country Victorian Future Stars Weekend, which will be conducted in April next year.

In a lead up to the Future Stars weekend the two teams will compete in tournaments and have practice games organised to further develop their playing experience in addition to training twice weekly. This should have them prepared and ready to go.

Players trying out for the Ballarat program have the opportunity to go on and try out for the Victorian State teams at the U/16 and U/18 levels for both boys and girls. Players successful at this level will represent Country Victoria at the National Championships in 2010.

Ballarat also has three boys who are trying out for its representative program who are in the final training squad for the Australian U/18 team which will compete at the World Championships in Germany in July 2010. Ballarat Elite Program Manager Guy Molloy is coach of the U/18 Australian team

Players or parents with any queries should contact Glenn White at the WIN Minerdome on 5338 1220.