Kristy Rinaldi to stay on at Rush

By DAVID BREHAUT at www.thecourier.com.au

KRISTY Rinaldi will extend her playing career with the Integra Ballarat Rush in the South East Australian Basketball League for another season.

Whether she is again captain though is still to be determined.

She has been captain since 2011.

“I’d love to do it,” she said.

However, she was not fazed one way or the other with regard to the appointment.

“To be honest, I am not a big believer in captaincy,” she said.

“Everyone brings something different to a team.”

Rinaldi, 28, said even if someone else was captain, she would continue to provide leadership in what was again likely to be a young squad.

Rinaldi will begin pre-season training next month after her first extended break from basketball in several years.

“I haven’t touched a basketball since our last game,” she said.

“It was a challenging season and I wanted some time off.”

She spent last summer with Adelaide in the WNBL, while two years ago she trained right through the off-season.

Rinaldi has also previously had stints with WNBL teams Bendigo and Dandenong.

As well as an opportunity to freshen up, Rinaldi said she had needed time to sort out her career path.

She manages a gym in Ballarat and next year will also take up a position at the Ballarat Specialist School.

Rinaldi played her 200th SEABL game last season, which also featured games with Brisbane.