Ballarat to Feature at State Championships
Basketball Ballarat is delighted to see three prominent members of its local club and representative program put themselves forward to work in the 2016 Basketball Victoria Country (BVC) State team program.
Ray Borner was announced as the under 18 Victoria Country Men’s Head Coach and he will be assisted by Rob Baker. Lucas Bourke will also be an Assistant Coach for the under 18 Victoria Country Women’s team.
Borner a four time Olympian, former Miners Coach, local Wildcats senior A Grade and junior coach said “it is an honour to be announced as Head Coach of the Vic country u18 men’s program” Borner continued with “it’s great to have two fine assistants in Ballarat’s Rob Baker and Warrnambool’s Rebel Noter. We will also have Owen Hughan from Horsham as our coaching mentor who was one of my old coaches.”
Borner’s assistant Baker is currently a club coach with Phoenix and BVC Academy Coach who has been involved in the State team program in past years.
Borner is pleased to be able to give back to the Country Victoria program where his State Representative Basketball began as a 15 year old in 1977. Borner commented “it will be great to help guide some of the best players in the State to fulfil their goals and dreams”.
While Borner has his hands full with the men’s side Bourke in his first season with Basketball Victoria Country as the Youth League Rush Head Coach, has also joined the State program as an Assistant to Gerard Hillier for the under 18 Victoria Country women’s side.
Having only been in the country set up for a short time Bourke is appreciative for getting the opportunity to work with the best female athletes in Country Victoria and hopes to be involved for many years. Bourke stated “It’s a great thrill to be recognised by Basketball Victoria and selected to join the 2016 coaching panel.”
Bourke said “Hillier has had some great results with his u/16 Southern Peninsula team over the past three years and I look forward to supporting him and the whole State team to hopefully get the group involved in the medal rounds in Adelaide”
Basketball Ballarat CEO Peter Eddy said that “it was a real credit to all these coaches that they were willing to commit the time and effort to take on this additional responsibility of coaching at the Australian Championship level. Given all these coaches are still working within our local program it will be a real benefit to all local basketball players to have these coaches share this knowledge in local club games”, Eddy added.
Basketball Ballarat looks forward to supporting these coaches and their teams in the 2016 Australian Junior National Basketball Championships.
The 2016 Australian Junior Championship dates and venues were announced by Basketball Australia in July and will begin February 14th – 20th with the Under 20 and Ivor Burge Championships in Ipswich, Queensland.
Borner, Baker and Bourke will be heading to the Under 18 Championships starting April 16th – 23rd in Forestville, South Australia and the year will be rounded out by the Under 16 Championships from July 2nd-9th in Kilsyth, Victoria.
For more information about the Australian Junior Championships coaching staff section please contact Basketball Ballarat’s Elite Teams Administrator Melissa Thomas via Melissa.Thomas@ballaratbasketball.com or 5330 7604