HABA Newsletter

MARCH 2012 Website: www.haba.sportingpulse.net Phone: 5382 0135 Email: [email protected] Postal Address: P.O. Box 249, Horsham, 3402

If you have any information to provide for future newsletters, Find Horsham Amateur please forward to [email protected] Association and click

“LIKE” to keep up with the latest news, events and photos. March Madness

Date of Events It has been an extremely busy February/March with a huge number of things happening around the HABA. Just to outline what has been happening the HABA held the Regional 8  Womens CBL Team Interest Ball Championship, have had Squad playing in numerous tournaments and State th Meeting 28 March 7.30pm Championships, NITP Selections, Wimmera Regional Sports Expo Day was held at the  Mitch Creek School Holiday stadium, the BigV Wimmera Roadways Horsham Hornets have begun their quest for a Clinics 13th and 14th of April championships and just recently the HABA held it‟s AGM. Looking forward we have the  BigV Hornets v Pakenham Under 14 SkillsHABA Day in Hamilton, Players Domestic GrandRepresent Finals, more BigV StateHorsham Hornets and Saturday 14th April, 7.30pm on top of all this we need to register everyone for our 2012 Domestic Winter Competition.

 U12 Future. Stars 31st March – 2nd We also have a fantastic event in the school holidays with Horsham‟s very own NBL young April – Shepparton gun Mitch Creek coming back on the Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th of April to  U14 Gold Star Classic April 13th – conduct skills clinics. At this stage Mitch will be bringing one of the all time greatest NBL April 15th - Ballarat imports Al Green along to help coach and pass on his knowledge young up and coming basketball stars. Please see page two for all the details.  Under 14 Skills Day 24th March - Hamilton  Domestic Grand Final Day – 25th Registrations

March As most of you are aware the HABA are now taking registrations for our 2012 Domestic Winter Competition. All information on age groups, nights of competition and costs can be

found on our website at www.haba.sportingpulse.net. You can register via direct deposit online at anytime or register at the stadium via EFTPOS, cash or cheque. We are holding registration time next week from Monday 26th March until Friday the 30th March between Inside This 4.00pm – 6.00pm. If we can get as many registrations in these time slots it will help us plan Issue competitions a lot better. Also remember if every player who registers before the school holidays (6.00pm Friday 30th March) will receive a 10% discount loyalty card to use at Mitch Creek School 2 Holiday Clinics Sportspower. If you have registered before the school holidays please pick up a card at the stadium or call and leave a message and card will be posted to you. You will also go in the 8 Ball Pool 2 running to win three awesome prizes: Championships st U16 State 1 Prize: Pair of Size 13 Basketball Shoes signed by Horsham’s very own NBL young 2 Championships Review gun Mitch Creek

Coaches Corner 3 Focus Dribbling 2nd Prize: $250 Sportspower Voucher Hornets Rookie League 3

3rd Prize: Horsham Hornets Merchandise Pack Womens CBL Team 3 (Jumpers, Beanies, Socks, Singlets ect) Hornets Rookie League 4 AGM Review 5 Squad Coach Positions 5 Hornets 6

HABA Schools Program 6

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Mitch Creek Holiday Clinics!!!

The HABA are extremely excited to announce Horsham very own NBL player Mitch Creek will be coming back to Horsham on Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th of April to conduct junior clinics. Mitch will be fresh off his second NBL season and at only 19 the sky‟s the limit for the extremely athletic forward (Type Mitch Creek Dunks into YouTube and you will see what I‟m talking about). At this stage Mitch will be bringing one of the all time greatest NBL imports Al Green along to help coach and pass on their knowl edge to Horsham‟s young up and coming basketball stars.

Mitch will have some signed giveaways and will be

available to sign autographs before and after the sessions. Please make a note of the following dates and times: Friday 13th April: Mitch Creek goes upstairs for the strong slam dunk against the in an NBL game in Adelaide. Session 1: Kids aged 10 and Under 10.00am – 11.00am

Session 2: Kids aged 11 – 14 11.30am – 1.00pm This is a tremendous opportunity for young players to meet and be coached

by an NBL superstar. Bookings are essential as there will be limited places Session 3: Kids aged 11 – 18 5.30pm – 7.00pm due to court availability. Please register and pay via direct deposit or pay at Saturday 14th April: the Horsham Basketball Stadium. A registration form will be available on

our website www.haba.sportingpulse.net : Session 4: Kids of all ages 3.30pm – 5.00pm

Cost: $15 per session if registered and paid before Thursday 12th April 5.00pm Regional 8 Ball Pool $20 per session if arrive on the day and not on the registered list. Championships

Teams from all over the South West of converged on Horsham to compete in the Regional 8 Ball Pool Championships on the 17th, 18th th and 19 of February. The HABA in conjunction with the Horsham 8 Ball Pool Association hosted the event which attracted over 250 participants and many more spectators. The HABA catered for all the food and beverages for the 2 and half days which was a huge effort. The quantity of food consumed was amazing with over 80kg of hot chips cooked, 60kg of roast beef, 300 steaks, 45kg bacon, 300+ eggs, 50+ loafs of bread, 400 + rolls along hundreds of dim sims, sausage rolls and pies. If you though the food numbers were large the bar number were just as impressive with well over 2,500 cans of alcohol sold over the two and half days. The event was a raging success with some participants claiming it the best Championships they had been to in over 20 years. The event was such a success the vent will be back in Horsham in 2015 which is a massive boost for the HABA and the Horsham community. The HABA would like to thank all the volunteers which made the event such a success. For all the photos from setup to the final day please visit our Facebook page Horsham Amateur Basketball Association and The view from the grandstand of the Regional 8 Ball Pool in “LIKE” to keep up to date with what‟s happening within the HABA. full swing. It was an actioned packed 2 ½ days.

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Under 16 Boys and Girls State Championships Review

The HABA have recently had both their Under 16 Boys and Girls Squad teams compete in their respective State Championships. The Under 16 Boys headed off to Bendigo to compete in the Under 16 Div ½ Championships over the 25th and 26th of February. The boys entered the Championships hoping to finish in the Top 10 after a strong tournament season which involved 4 Grand Final berths out of 5 tournaments. The teenage Hornets finished second in pool four after winning two of their three preliminary games on Saturday. This gave them a top eight finish and earned them a division one quarter final spot against Bendigo. Bendigo proved too strong, winning 51-40. In their preliminary games, Horsham lost to Warrnambool 31-23, defeated Corio Bay 39-34 and defeated Warragul 45-32. Horsham assistant coach Leigh Tucker led the Hornets in coach Damien Kilpatrick's absence. Tucker said the Hornets performed well in a strong competition. "We finished fifth in division one which was fantastic," he said. "We lost a close one against Warrnambool. We gave them a start we shouldn't have given them and that was the same against Bendigo. "We gave them a 15-2 lead." Tucker said guards Darcy Tucker and Ben Lakin and tall Ryan Armstrong were Horsham's most consistent performers. Overall it was a fantastic result and a great reward for all the hard work the players, parents and first time coach Damien Kilpatrick put in throughout the year. The Under 16 Girls made their way to Bendigo to compete in the Under 16 Girls Div ¾ Championships over the 17th and 18th of March. The girls went into the Championships quietly confident after beating some fancied rivals during the Tournament season and they were starting to click at the right time. Well that confidence was channelled into some terrific basketball with the girls going through the preliminary rounds with devastating ease and remaining undefeated. The girls beat Castlemaine 63 – 23, Hamilton 44 – 22 and Colac 33 – 22. They cruised passé Maryborough on the Sunday 58 – 15 before dismantling Moe 38 – 25 to advance to the Division 3 Grand final showdown with Colac. Whilst the girls went into the game brimming with confidence they knew they still needed to execute well to get over the line. Execute they did as the girls handled Colac‟s pressure well down the stretch to claim the Division 3 State Championship 41 – 36. Coach Sharon Fedke said she was ecstatic and extremely proud of her girls who dug deep when it counted to pull off a memorable win. It was a fantastic way to reward all the players, parents and experienced coach Sharon Fedke for the countless hours they have put in over the year. Coaches Corner Focus – Dribbling

Last newsletter we covered the fundamentals of shooting and in this month‟s issue we are now focusing on dribbling. 2. HEIGHT OF DRIBBLE: If you have defending players around you the ball needs to be kept below hip height. If you are on a fast break in the open court you can bounce it a little higher as this allows you to cover ground quickly. 3. POSITION OF DRIBBLE: When defenders are aroudnyou you want to keep the ball as close to your body as possible and turn your body so you body is between the ball and the defender. Do Under 16 Girls Div ¾ State Champions not dribble the ball in front of you. On the fast break with no Back Row: Stevie Bibby, Chloe Bibby, Sharon Fedke (Coach) & defenders you want to push the ball out in front of you. Grace Wooster Front Row: Grace Curran, Leiah McKenzie, Mardi Isbel & Mkiayla 4. EYES UP EYES UP EYES UP: When dribbling it is crucial to McAuliffe have your eyes down the court as much as possible so you can see open teammates and also avoid oncoming defenders. 5. PUSH THE BALL DON‟T SLAP: When dribbling it‟s important we are pushing the ball into the ground with our finger tips rather “In all the research you do as a coach, studying than slap at it with our palms. other coaches and championship-type situations, you find that all those teams Some dribble moves to get around opponents include the crossover, combined talent with great defense. You’ve got behind the back, between the legs, fake crossover, hesitation dribble, to stop other teams to win.” retreat dribble and the spin move. Below are some YouTube links of Pat Riley quote great dribbling drills and some of the best dribblers in the NBA. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJEb6O-cjhU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP5trAgjK4o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Er -5aa_MDY

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Women’s CBL Team Hornets Rookie League in the Pipeline The HABA will be trialling a Hornets Rookie League which is targeted The HABA wants to field a women's team in the Country at kids born in 2007, 2006 & 2005 or older players who are brand new Basketball League south-west conference next season. The CBL will start in late October/early November and run through to basketball. The league is designed to provide an entry point for to January over approximately 14 rounds. those kids who have never played basketball before or who are ready to progress from our Aussie Hoops program but are not quite old enough There will be a meeting on Wednesday the 28th of March at to move into Under 10s. 7.30pm at the Horsham Basketball Stadium to gauge interest in the idea. Structure: The Hornets Rookie League will comprise of 15 to 20 minutes of skills then two shortened halves of 10 – 15 minutes. The Early indications were a women's team would be supported and teams would be created from the participants who are there on the night would complement the men's side, which made its competition and would vary from week to week. Singlets will be provided by the debut in the 2011-12 season. However for the team to go ahead the HABA need to see support and interest at this HABA. There is no obligation to turn up every week and there will be Wednesdays meeting. no fixtures, ladders or scores kept. The games will not require umpires but coaches will be allowed on the court and will umpire the game to HABA „s newly elected President Gareth Hiscock said "We suit the skill level of the players. I will be encouraging as many parents have done a little bit of ground work and there's been a really to get involved as possible so the parents can learn the basics of the positive response," Mr Hiscock said. "We ran it by a few ex- game which will allow them to help their children and hold them in state junior players who were lost to the game. It is designed to good stead in future years. give them an opportunity to stay involved.” Night and Times: Friday Night 4.00pm – 5.00pm. The Hornet "Historically girls are lost to the game when they leave under- Rookie League will mirror the Junior Domestic Competition from 16s. Some stay in the women's competition but most are lost October – March & April - September but there will be no finals. for 10 years and then come back in and play in the women's competition." Cost: $30 Registration Fee (This is only paid once per year). Then it will be $5 paid on the night. Mr Hiscock said the association wanted to forge a name for itself as having a welcoming club environment. For more information please call 5382 0135 or email [email protected] "We are trying to promote a club atmosphere and make it more like a foo tball or netball club," he said. "Women basketballers BigV Wimmera Roadways Horsham Hornets Fixtures ca n also be could play in front of a crowd with double-headers. found on our website.

"The CBL men's team is going to be a lot different next season. There will be a lot more crowd support and an opportunity for women's teams to play in front of a crowd." For more information please call 5382 0135 or email [email protected].

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” Michael Jordan Motivational Quote

Portland Tournament Report

On February the 11th and 12th the HABA had 5 representative teams head down to Portland to compete in the 2012 Portland Junior South West Classic.

The Under 14 Boys and Girls squads did not make the finals however both teams played hard picking up some wins to go along with some hard fought close losses. It was a similar story with the Under 18 Boys as they played hard all weekend but were pipped at the post in a number of close games. The Under 16 Girls played well and claimed 3 wins from 5 games with close losses to MtGambier and Warrnambool. The Under 16 Boys performed the best out of the Horsham teams making it to the Grand Final showdown against Warrnambool. The Hornets beat

Warrnambool by 10 points in a fiery contest. With state players in both teams and a mix of talented guards and talls the teams were very evenly matched. Unfortunately the Hornets just couldn‟t quite get over the line and went down by 5 points. The Tournament provided a fantastic hit out for the boys leading into Div ½ State Championships.

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HABA AGM Results Squad Coach Applications

The HABA recently held its Annual General Meeting on the 20th th March. 16 people attended the AGM which was kindly chaired by Squad coach applications will open on Monday the 26 of th Gerry Glennen from Basketball Victoria. The meeting lasted just over March and will close on Friday the 6 April. The age groups half an hour. Overall it was great to see some people re – elected into will be Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 and Under 18s. For a various positions whilst at the same time there were 4 new board nomination form please visit the HABA website at members elected. The HABA would like to thank Gerry Glennen for www.haba.sportingpulse.net. making the trip to Horsham to chair the AGM. . Singlet Return If you are interested in helping the HABA move forward in a positive direction and may like to become a board member or help out in another capacity eg Grade Co – Ordinator, Hornets Committee, If you have not returned your domestic singlet please do so as Fundraising, Coaching, Refereeing ect please feel free to call or email soon as possible as the HABA need to do a stocktake on all our the association on 5382 0135 or [email protected] singlets so we know how many new uniforms we will need to

Congratulations again to all who were elected to the following order for the next Winter Competition. positions. .

Position Elected Person

President Gareth Hiscock

Senior Vice President Tony Pope

Junior Vice President Dean Lakin

Executive Secretary Dylan Taylor Treasurer Caroline Hadley Competition Manager Brendan Cole Competition Director VACANT

Referees Director Kerry Pearce “You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your Coaching Director Owen Hughan technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of BigV Director Damien Kilpatrick everything you do will rise.”

Events Director Jamie Atherton Michael Jordan Basketball Quote

Grants Director Pauline Butler

Risk Management Leigh Tucker WRSA Expo Day 2012

Publicity Officer VACANT The Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly held an expo day at the Assistant Treasurer Kylie Taig Horsham Basketball Stadium on Sunday the 12th of February. Over 15 sports got to showcase their sports in booths where they could hand interested people information on how they could participate in their particular sport. Most sports had the opportunity to showcase their sport through demonstrations and come and try activities on court 2. This allowed interested people to engage with the sports they may be interested in. Event organiser and Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly Executive Officer David Berry said although the total number of people who walked through the expo was lower than expected David was very impressed with how each sport presented itself and felt that the concept had great room to grow. This feeling was echoed by many of the other sports.

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Hornets win on the Road Hornets Tame Wildcats in

HORSHAM Hornets clawed their way back from 17 points 2012 RSL Shield down to win their opening match of the Big V division two season winning 71 - 64. Facing Cranbourne Cavaliers away The Wimmera Roadways Horsham Hornets claimed back the RSL Shield from home, Horsham found itself in trouble early but they from the Eltham Wildcats on March the 3rd. Co-coach Tim Pickert were able to cut the margin to six at half time but it had blown labelled Cam Bruce's game against Eltham Wildcats on March the 3rd as out to as much as 17 in the second term. Heading into the one of the point guard's best.

final break, the Hornets were three points down, 50-53. Pickert said Bruce shone in the Big V practice match against the Wildcats, Horsham controlled the final term, scoring 21-11, to score a a youth league team. The Hornets, who used the match as an ideal seven-point win. Centre Corey Collier and Tim Pickert practice run for their division two 2012 season, scored a 15-point win at impressed, scoring with 23 points and 21 points respectively. Horsham Basketball Stadium. Pickert said the Hornets' ability to fight back bode well for the rest of the season. Pickert said the Hornets' ability to fight "Cam had probably the best game I have ever seen him play to be honest," back bode well for the rest of the season. "Last year if we were Pickert said. "He had 11 from 13 from the field, 27 points and seven down by 17 we wouldn't have won," he said. "The comeback steals. It showed he's had a big pre-season." from 17 points down shows we are a better side." Pickert said switching from a man-on-man defence to a zone Pickert, Bruce and recruits Evan Coulson, Tim Brook and Corey Collier defence was a match-winning move for the Hornets. "It was a started for the Hornets. "We gelled really well together," Pickert said. "Corey had 17 rebounds. It goes to show he's a big guy who could be a very hard-fought win," he said. "They hit five three-pointers in threat this year." the first quarter and that was the difference. "We threw a zone defence on them after that and got them rattled." The Pickert said he was expecting a strong season from the Hornets, who Hornets' next home game will be on the 14th of April at made the 2011 preliminary final. "Our team is a lot better than last year," 7.30pm. Horsham‟s NBL young gun Mitch Creek will be he said. "We're a lot more athletic and quicker." attending the game and may be completing a dunk exhibition at half time so make sure you place the date in the diray for a rare look at one of the most athletic and exciting player s in the NBL. You can find a Hornets fixture on our website www.haba.sportinpulse.net.

HABA begin Schools Program

As part of the HABA‟s Strategic Plan the HABA have implemented a schools program. The HABA identified that a strong relationship with the primary and secondary schools

within the Wimmera Region as being crucial to achieving a number of the key strategic priorities, particularly within the areas of Growth and Marketing and Communications. The schools program which is designed to be flexible, innovative RSL legend John Amos announcers the BigV Wimmera Roadways and mutually beneficial for both the HABA and the primary Horsham Hornets the winner of the 2012 RSL Shield with HABA and secondary schools involved. The HABA want to provide President Gareth Hiscock (in white) and the triumphant Hornets. a positive basketball experience for all students who are involved in the program which will produce the following The HABA emailed and posted a copy of the schools program out to all outcomes: schools within the Wimmera. The schools ranged from Goroke, Warracknabeal, Nhill, Dimboola, Laharum and Murtoa plus all the local * Increased awareness of the HABA among the school schools like Horsham 298, Horsham West, St Michaels and St Johns, community. Horsham North (298 Rasmussen Campus), Haven and the Lutheran. * Increased basketball participation. *Increased physical activity within children, particularly those Dylan recently spent 2 weeks at the 298 Primary School with the P.E who are sedentary. Teacher Carlo Sordello. Dylan ran clinics for all 23 classes from prep to *Increased awareness of the physical and mental health grade 6. The clinics revolved mainly around learning the fundamentals of benefits of being involved in basketball. dribbling and shooting and incorporating these skills into lots of fun and *Make basketball an attractive sport to participate in. inclusive games and relays. In the second week Dylan handed out heaps *Build a strong relationships with schools and their staff. of different prizes like reversible Aussie Hoops Singlets, Aussie Hoops & Coast to Coast Drink Bottles, Aussie Hoops Sweat Bands and mini soft *Create a link between children and our senior representative . Overall the clinics were thoroughly enjoyed by all students sides the BigV & CBL Horsham Hornets and it was great to give the children an opportunity to learn and play basketball.