COFFS Harbour Basketball Association has bounced back from last year’s cancelled season to field an impressive 90 teams for the start of the 2021 season.

The Association features players aged from five onwards playing social and competitive basketball as well as 16 representative teams who play for the Coffs Harbour Suns throughout New South Wales.

Talent development is a key focus for the club.

The Suns Reprepresentative program consists of 156 players with a support team of 40 personnel including coaches, assistant coaches and managers.

News Of The Area caught up with junior representative players and coaches at training this week, where coaches focused on team drills, passing, dribbling, defence, movement off the ball and transition up the court.

Shooting practice included a free throw competition where Mitchell Fahey from the under 16’s Division 1 impressed with an incredible 14 baskets in a row.

Coach Chris Knight commented, “It doesn’t surprise me that Mitch shot that many in a row, he lives and breathes basketball and is at the stadium all the time, participating in extra training sessions,” said Knight.

Club Administrator, Steph Rickards outlined what lays ahead for the talented youngsters.

“Competitions start 13 March when five of our junior premier league teams head to Gosford to play in the highest level in the state.

“This will be the first time competing for these teams since March last year when the first tournament of the 2020 season was cancelled mid games due to Covid, this has been a long time coming for many of the players and a chance to see how the last 12 months of training will come to fruition,” concluded Rickards.

 

By David WIGLEY