COACHES for the Ballarat Junior Miners first team for 2024 have been announced by Basketball Ballarat.<\/p>\n
The Ballarat Representative Program coaches will lead the teams ahead of the 2024 Victorian Junior Basketball League Season.<\/p>\n
Director of coaching at Basketball Ballarat, Luke Sunderland, said it was exciting to be able to appoint a group of talented volunteer coaches and they will share their expertise with the aim of helping young players hone their skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted coaches with some experience and ties so the program and if we can manage to have some coaches at this level who aren\u2019t parents that\u2019s great and we\u2019ve managed to do that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cParent coaches do a great job but if we can attract coaches who aren\u2019t parents coaching is their first priority and that\u2019s always a bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew Dunn will coach the under 12 boys, Tam Westwood will lead the under 12 Boys, and the under 14 boys and girls will be led by Brett Dyson and Rob Cooper respectively.<\/p>\n
The under 16 boys will be coached by Chris Thorton and the under 16 girls by Glenn white will the under 18 boys will be led Joel Anderon and the girls by Brad Dennis.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good on both sides we\u2019re developing internally and also attracting some talent,\u201d Sunderland said.<\/p>\n
Sunderland, who came to Ballarat in 2022 to lead the club\u2019s coaching staff also said next season is looking promising as younger players progress into senior squads.<\/p>\n
\u201cNext year is a really strong cohort as two years ago a lot of the teams in the younger age groups performed really well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe under 16 boys when they were in the under 14s finished fifth in the country and third in the state so that group should do really well.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of our first teams should be able to play in the top division in the Victorian Championship.\u201d<\/p>\n