After the most amazing week at U14 Club Championships, we asked for a recap from coaches, players and parents. Here’s a sample of what they had to say:
Coach quote:
“I’ve been coaching rep basketball for nine years. In that time, I’ve coached, as an estimated guess, about 500 games for Camberwell Dragons.
“Nothing compares to these eights games at Club Championships.
“The atmosphere, the support from the Dragons family, the competitiveness of competition. It’s as peak as junior sport can get.
“We operated like a professional sporting team for a week – we scouted, we had shoot around before games, we had court announcers, air horns, you name it. The time between games at the Hub saw an already tight-knit group grow tighter still. We had a down ball tournament, a chat with an AFL star, a parents’ three-point shoot-out. There were 830383 instant coffees consumed by parents and coaches, and so many bananas consumed by players, that you’d think it was a monkey enclosure. It was a completely unforgettable week and the perfect way to cap off the incredible season we had as a group. I believe all 10 players represented Camberwell to the best of their ability in the club’s first ever Nationals campaign.
Saturday: we got a team photo, we had an on-court training to hammer home our focal points for the week, and coaches + TM attended a technical committee meeting.
Sunday: We kicked off with a 75-55 win over Cockburn (3rd in WA state champs). A convincing start saw us control the game until the end. We rolled back to Clyde Primary School (our “hub” for the week) for some game review and lunch, and then matched up against Canberra. A slow start paired with a tough match-up against their 6’7” centre saw us lose by 11.
Monday: A fantastic game against North Bears (eventual silver medalists, and 22-0 in NSW Premier League). A narrow 62-67 loss, but a gallant effort.
Tuesday: A 5pm tip-off for our only game of the day. We were fortunate enough to have Collingwood star Tom Mitchell speak to the lads for an hour pre-game about resilience, body language, and being a great teammate. We rolled Darwin 92-54. Go Dragons!
Wednesday: We survived a late charge from North West Tasmania to hold on for a 80-73 win, however a short turnaround between games saw us a little fatigued and consequently suffer an 11 point loss at the hands of Knox (VC silver medalists).
Thursday: A fatigued but resilient Dragons crew controlled Bulleen for 3 quarters, but unfortunately losing a few players due to injury and other saw us come up just short in the 4th.
Friday: We capped off our week with another convincing win over Darwin, finishing with 4 wins and 4 losses.
Player quote (Jake)
“I really enjoyed the Nationals tournament being able to bond with the team at the Hub and meeting new kids from other teams. Competing at that high level was also a great learning experience.
“The lowlight were competed against two other Vic teams, would have been better against other states and the dusty courts!”
Parent quote
“The Foot Locker Club Championships provided an exceptional experience for our boys, allowing them to compete against the nation’s top U14 basketball players in a week of intense competition. The dedication of our head coach, Conor, along with assistant coaches Tom, Mitch, and Mark, was outstanding. They established an elite training hub, complete with a full-time physiotherapist, at a court near the Casey venue. This set-up enabled the boys to train effectively, scout opposing teams, and develop game strategies while also providing a space to relax and recover between games. I am also immensely grateful to Andrew our TM and the parents who, over the 10 weeks leading up to the tournament, worked together to fundraise and ensure the boys had everything they needed to excel. This unforgettable experience has undoubtedly created lifelong memories for these young men.
“A HUGE thank you to the sponsors that supported the boys on their Club Championship journey: Monopoly Dreams, BG Private, Kim’s Cleaning and Home Care Services, Melbourne Sports Photography, Bread Street (Mont Albert), Bennet’s Butchery (Canterbury) and Rocket Digital.”
