Volunteer basketball coaches in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs have been receiving tips from some of Australia’s best, thanks to the North East Community Fund.
The Eastern Districts Junior Basketball Association successfully applied for a $10,000 grant to help run a series of coaching clinics, designed to assist the volunteer coaches of the 1641 EDJBA junior teams.
The series of 10 free clinics began in January 2024, and have featured world class coaches including the likes of Australian Opals and WNBA Championship winning head coach Sandy Brondello, Australian Boomers and six-time NBL Championship winning head coach Brian Goorjian, and Melbourne United and three-time NBL Championship winning head coach Dean Vickerman.
EDJBA committee member Paul Lankford said the clinics had been a fantastic success with the local community.
“We’ve had more than 1800 registrations across the clinics with all of our junior coaches coming away with new skills, which filters through to our junior basketballers,” said Mr Lankford.
“The expertise and experience of the coaches we’ve had leading these clinics has been of the absolute highest calibre, and the North East Community Fund was a big part in making that happen.”
Registrations for the final clinic are now open which will be held in January, with Dean Vickerman returning to lead a clinic focussing on ‘Beating Zones and Presses’.
More than 150 projects and initiatives have been funded through the first three rounds of the $10 million North East Community Fund that is helping local groups and organisations during construction of the North East Link.
To find out more about the North East Community Fund and other projects supported, visit North East Community Fund.