I think Juniors should be the main focus for clubs.

Without your junior development, they do not develop into good, or excellent senior players.

It is easier to recruit kids (or I would assume so, not really having that much involvement with junior basketball apart from umpiring) than adults, who already have heavy demands on their time.

Get them into the basketball habits early (training etc), and they take that into senior years.

Also, without junior fees (registration, playing fees etc), clubs could not have their senior teams, or if they did, it would be costing the players more to play.

It all starts from your ABL program. Sometimes Junior coaches get way bogged down in the beleif in their own skills in developing players. Nothing beats kids going out and watching their ABL team and learning from those players.

Those younger players entering senior basketball would be advantaged by working with an ex nbl player for a season or two. Not neccessarily through any overt instruction from the older players but just by watching and learning the work ethic, skills and whatever else it is that these guys have.

Skill acquisition does not only occur by actually doing but also by watching/visualising. A good experiment would be to get 2 groups of kids. 1 group watches NBA games etc. for a few months and another group watches days of our lives or jerry springer. They still play and train an equal amount with the same amount of teaching from their junior coach. Which group is going to acquire a greater standard of basketball skills?

I think Norwood have done a great job of bringing players through the juniors. They rarely recruit players from other clubs and focus more on retaining their juniors. Of the side at the moment there are only 2 players who havent played the majority of their juniors at the club. Even Robin Eley played the majority of his juniors at Norwood.

In regards to the ABA I think you put the best side possible on the court. The aim is to win a championship. The best player should play. The juniors will develop by training and playing reserves. If the juniors are good enough they will play like Webber.

every clubs focus should just be to get my main man Simon Kent on board!!

Krause played his juniors at Norwood then went to Adelaide then came back.

Juniors! Without a doubt!!!

Clubs do not exist without juniors!! A good junior program will lead into a strong senior program.

Also who generates more income for the club? Juniors or Seniors? My guess would be the juniors!!!

Seniors are important but, the focus should be on developing juniors.

i say that the best club with a junior program is eagles. they are developing their juniors much better han some clubs. and lets ace it if you dont develop your juniors the club has no future.

Harold, I like the way everyone ignored you. I'm with you on Simon Kent. He's a player who needs some work but under the tutelage of a Scott Whitmore-type, he could flourish into something awesome. Has the physical ability to be an NBL big-man - just has to work on the other side of his game. C'mon Woodville - sign the wild child from the south!

Norwood as an example are just lucky to have developed so many juniors in the past, whom have gone on to play in their ABL side, successfully :)

With the salary cap changes though, should clubs now focus spending more money on the junior side, or give the maximum (was it 25k?) to both senior teams?