A total of 36 players will take to the court throughout January at a range of tournaments including the Australian Country Championships, the Regional Country Development Tour in Newcastle and the Southern Cross Challenge in Melbourne.

Illawarra Basketball Association Development Officer Jaydon Beveridge said the selections are a result of hard work put in by both players and coaches on and off the court.

“We have quite a few kids representing our association this summer, which we’re fairly proud of,” Beveridge said.

“The kids have put in a whole lot of hard work over the season, putting in extra time before and after training to get better. The love they have for the game is a credit to the kids.

“We also have to give massive credit to the coaches, for installing that passion and providing opportunities for them to achieve their goals.”

Junior basketball in the Illawarra is experiencing a purple patch at the moment, with talented players featuring in all age groups. The under 14s are leading the way, having finished fourth at the Australian Club Championships in October.

Earlier in the year, Tobias Delaney, Josh Dent and Zoe Roulston represented Australian Country at the Mel Young Easter Basketball Classic in New Zealand.  

To Beveridge, such a run of success is a sign the region’s junior pathways are working well to develop future stars.

“I think it’s got to do with the fact we have developed great foundations for the kids to learn from. Due to the amount of time volunteer coaches put in to help athletes achieve their goals, the structures are in place for kids to learn.

“The way our coaches coach is to push players to constantly challenge themselves and their team to get better. We’re confident when they go away, they will represent our association with pride.”