What is east coast challenge?

Boxscores?

Follow @australianbball on Twitter for updates and observations from the tournament

???? Huh, you mean travelling??

add in an extra 2 months and that could be even more:

Over 14 months a 12/13 year old basketballer could do
SAPSASA (State) National Championship
Under 14 Club Championship
St Clair
Southern Cross Challenge
Eltham/Dandenong
Norwood Easter Classic
State Championships
National Junior Classic
Under 14 Club Championship

Not to mention if they're good at other sports they may have SAPSASA and/or National Championships in AFL, Cricket, Soccer, Rugby etc.

A country Vic kid, say at 15-16 years old, could do just as much:

Aus Camps
State Country Camps
NITP Camps
Nationals
Country Cup
VJBL
Country Champs
Classic
Club Champs
Youth League or CBL or SEABL

Then throw in year 11 or 12 of schooling!

Who has time for another sport, seriously?

Haven't even included NITP (which Under 14s now do), Club commitments, District/VJBL games etc.

With all that and training I don't know where these kids find time to fit in drugs, alcohol and antisocial behavior! Don't know what their parents are thinking. Also how are they supposed to fit in with our increasingly obese society if they go around looking and acting like athletes?

Anon. Wouldnt be too many that good but if they are u need to be selective. Develop good working relationships with coaches and coaching directors with the kids best interest at heart. Listen to the experts but every kid is different. You need to work with all involved to make the right decisions for your kid.

Is there any in-depth coverage other than full-time game results on the Basketball NSW website/twitter coverage? Any stats, tourney newsletter or photography coming from Basketball Australia or BNSW?

Talented kid doing year 11-12 as a 15 year old.

If you think your kid has too many commitments, have some balls and be selective.

I read the posts above. I hope parents and coaches are pointing out that 99.9999999% of kids playing basketball will survive their life on earnings generated from an education. Parents mainly need to be realistic and take with a grain of salt what various coaches tell them. Priority particulaly in year 12 must be Family, Education and the Basketball.

Good point res. Anon those 3 a far from mutually exclusive. No need to prioritise. Plan. Family and basketball go hand in hand often in our house and my kids got vg grades.

There should be a 3 month period mandated October, November, December where there is NO JUNIOR COMPETITION, MANDATED BY BASKETBALL AUSTRALIA

Players can work on their game, train in small groups and individually with coaches, but no competitions/tournaments.

Anon #452069 could not agree more.

Basketball is the only sport that expects full year high level commitment from its JUNIOR players.

No wonder they all burn out and so few continue to support the sport. By the time their juniors are over they find a real life and never want to be sucked back in again!

It's the associations that will complain. No stadium entry fees, no cafeteria money, no registration fees.

They can organise and run senior domestic competitions, senior tournaments, even a couple of camps, but the kids need time off.

The alternative is that you run all of your National Junior Championships in this period. 14 Clubs, 16s, 18s and 20s is changed so only bottom age players play.

The basketball schedule is a tough one, even more so for the elite level juniors. So, parents will learn to be selective and must help their kids priorities as a matter of normality not as the exception.

Comments like 'have some balls' are obvious attempts at trolling and not needed.

The overall health and well being of the athlete, the family, having a decent chance at a good education and then the opportunities provided by being an elite athlete (basketball or something else) are all important and will give kids a reasonable start in life.

I agree with a break for junior basketball athletes, but not 3 months, maybe 6 weeks, but it must be across the board. Seasonal sports are exactly that, affected by the weather and played during one season with a season off.

Basketball is in doors, there is no weather factor here, so authorities need to collaborate and cooperate to give kids a real break from the game.

Most kids get 6 weeks off already.

It's clearly not enough. We're harming our athletes. It's impossibe for them to have the same commitment, energy, passion for the game when they're expected to play at the highest level possible every week for 11 months of the year. And then add in the Tournaments every long weekend, State and NITP commitments etc.

Anon 940... I think you just put my 2 kids 12 months up on this sight..Have you been following us...lol :) We have traveled from Adelaide to Mount Gambier, Albury to Melbourne and Ballerat twice and then Western Australia for Sapsasa and a Whole lot a traveling for training in between...I just really wish Children's sport was tax deductible it would help parents with talented kids immensely with the financial load. :) Would of course help all parents no matter what standard they are..

Were all SA players available?

16 Boys lost by 1 on bell to Vic 1

18 boys GF was all Vic with 2 team winning easy. There three main guards were too strong and big kid from AIS owned the key.

Girls were just boring to watch sorry Skill level average in all teams

Are we saying in U 16s that we have improved that much to be only 1 point behind Vic.

Vic enter 2 teams in this comp. Sa enters one. Also some good players choose to have a break. Its pretty good comp but water3d ddwn somewhat.