What a biased statement about how the show was run.
All reports have indicated that the championships were very well run.
Forestville were unfortunate to lose a game in the 1/4 Final stage where each team beat one another in their grouping. As Forestville's percentage was the lowest this put them into the bottom group of the top 12.
At no time in the tournament did Forestville play Bulleen who were the eventual winners. They did play Illawarra (4th) and beat them by 5 (hardly a considerable margin).

The Forestville team had 7 SAPSASA players and 2 SA Country players. I would think that they were quite decent.

Pity they had their 2 development players on in the game that they lost. Questionable coaching.

I thought admission prices were too expensive. Almost double that of the u14 boys in Darwin! If we want people to support this sport we need more spectators. Prices were a deterrent. Hope more people will attend u18s next year...but with the distance to travel and steep admission prices, people will choose better value for many in school holidays. The price we paid for a family ticket to see one game was the same to see the SANFL grand final!

Sounds like some-one is a bit greedy then - wont be going to the U18's if it costs that much.

Grote - can you tell me, how the hell do development players get developed if they are sitting on the damned bench getting splinters in their backsides????

anon,

Development occurs at training.

Throughout the tournament, Forestville players were happy to take first opportunity long shots. This philosophy, encouraged by the u/14 forestville coaches, combined with a very poor shooting percentage (throughout the tournament) left the eagles exposed and was the reason why they lost to Willetton. The Eagles scoring was only dangerous when their gaurds were driving towards the basket.
Willetton coaches, after scouting previous games, adjusted their teams defence by collapsing in the keyway, allowed the quick long shot and blocked out effectively to get the defensive rebound. This strategy together with a quick transition was the eagles undoing.
The above philosphophy has been successful for the Eagles in the SA junior league with their ability to get offensive rebounds but will always be flawed in a national competetion with a greater depth of taller players and possibly better coaches. It was only a matter of time until other teams' coaches would have picked up on this weakness.
Forestville should be proud of their players who are obviously a talented group equal to any other years. However they may need a review of their strategy to be succesfull at national competitions.

Nice thought observer....I live a million miles away, but you seem to be close enuff to know some truths....

Is it just me or is there something a little odd about 13 replies to a post about 12 and 13 year old kids (now 14!)?

As a coach, I can't quite get my head around the resources and energy committed to these National Club Championships (Illawarra rumoured to have drawn $36K out of Illawarra basketball community to send two teams away this year (and they do it every year) yet they didn't field an Open Women's team in the WABL this year.

Imagine the coaching or refereeing resources $36K could purchase in your local association spread over a year and the good that could do.

I'm sure the experience is a lifetime highlight for these kids and I'd be loathe to deprive them of that (I still remember my first Nationals in another sport (at age 10 for God's sake) and that was many many moons ago - actually it was many leap years ago.)

From a coaching perspective, so little of what it takes to win at U/14's is transferable to older age groups, I'd actually rather kids weren't coached to win at 14's (where traps, premature and unsustainable size and guard-dominated play rule).

Congrats to the kids and coaches, but do we still need these championships - wouldn't State Championships suffice and let the kids aspire to further achievements down the track? By the way, the other sport no longer has Nationals for 10 year olds, a great move I think!

ankles!

My thoughts entirely!

Sounds like Bulleen is doing something right...
2 National championships in a row in 14 girls and Tom Maher being recruited as Director of Coaching. Must be trying to get back to their glory days of developing stars-to-be like Timmsy ect... Not bad for a club run almost entirely by volunteers...

ankles - agree with your thinking, way too many people who are focused on winning vs development. Have any of these people heard or read about long term development plans. Whilst gymnastics may be an early development sport, basketball is not. Many Olympic basketballers didn't start playing till they were 12 / 13 years old, let alone play nationals.

As for Bulleen winning - Tom Maher has not had time to influence the kids and the team, Timmsy maybe a little, but they have a good group this year. I can also tell you that Tom Maher will bring back the focus on the basic fundamentals to upskill the kids and that in itself will reverberate through the club from VC to Metro teams (Yes I'm Vic, but not from Bulleen).

Having read quite a few posts, you SA people seem to be fighting internally at expense of the greater development of the game and your kids.

How many of the U14 teams will go on to higher level in Seniors and how many will drop off? Think longer term not shorter term - the kids have the time.

SOme of thee playes will be representing Australia at the U17 JuniorWorlds in 3 years time.

I can't believe that some people think that we should be sitting around a camp fire singing KOMM-BYY-YAHH.

If you don't want to be and elite level athlete, why attend a National Championsihp or play District basketball?

Kitty Kat - I beg to differ. A few of these kids will be playing in National U/17 (our U/18's) teams in four or five years time, not three. The evidence suggests that not too many of them will be (look at the first squad picked from National U/16's for next year's Gems squad (four years ago) and compare it to the current squad) and then, only those kids who can make a successful transition from the 'bully' mentality prevalent at U/14's to a more authentic form of basketball where you need to be able to keep your player in front of you defensively and find an open player offensively.

I don't think anybody is suggesting that you sit around singing folk songs (like you, I can't spell the name of that song so I wont even try) but I am advocating the teaching of basketball fundamentals - teach these kids TO play, rather than teaching them A play. Then when these kids, the vast majority of whom wont go on to higher representative honours, grow up they will be able to turn up to any stadium in the country and get involved in a sport that we all love and enjoy - as opposed to experiencing a basketball career highlight at age 13 and it all being downhill from there.

Well said ankles.

Surely one can do both. Developing fully rounded basketballers should lead to success in all ages. Look at the clubs that have the most players in SASI, in State teams and at the AIS. It's these same clubs that have their teams qualifying for the U14 nationals most years.

aaah but is the relationship causal or do these clubs simply have better coaches across the board?

Probably a little from column A and a little from column B.

More improtantly, those clubs would be the one's IMHO that have long term development as their goals. And put greater resources into developing their coaches along the guidelines of international level development.

Kitty Kat, your philosophy sounds all good and true. I was at the 14 Girls for 1 day and didn't notice a whole lot of structure being run to be honest. I agree with your philosophy but did you obeserve highly drilled, highly structured teams?

I think the bulk of coaches coaching in 14 National Championships are conscious of teaching players rather than coaching them - if ya know what I mean.

I love this notion that there is a "paddock" some clubs get their players from. That they magically appear. Isn't this paddock, the U10/12 trainings and therefore the club development program? Or does this take too many resources and effort.

How come the once Dominant North Adelaide, who had "much better cattle in the paddock" are now struggle? Wouldn't have anything to do with the loss of Dean Kinsman and his work at lower levels would it?

PS Mr Gliddon went to the Mavs for a season and won the Classics. With a team that never made top 4 at State Champs any other year. I guess that blow's your theory out of the water.

Now complain about zoneing and how it will help your club recruit kids without any extra work.

Maybe they move because they are unhappy?

Dean wasn't the Country DO until he went to Forestville, not sure how that was meant to help us win the Overall State Champs Club award.

North hadn't won a State Overall Club Championship from 1988 until 2000, a couple of years after Deans arrival.

Within a coulpe of years our boys had gone on to win a Silver at the U14 Clubs, and the girls were regular attendee's.

This was all before Dean had any country association. Yes some players moved with Dean after he left, but considering the club expected the same results without filling Deans position, that was not to be unexpected. And looking at the results of the U14 over the last 4 years since he left, truely explains why he was invaluable.

Unless you saw the amount of time he put in developing the coaches and philosophy of the club, you won't understand why it was successfull.

PS Of those U16 kids Mr Gliddon took, only 1 was any good, and they still managed a top 2 finish at State Champs without her. Again a feat that had not occurred at any other time.