HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAM UPDATE

COVID-19 / D-League / High-Performance / Media Release / State Teams
Written by Jaylee Ismay
5 October, 2021

As Basketball NSW awaits the lifting of restrictions and return to sport pathway, it has been necessary to make some adjustments to the High-Performance Calendar for the remainder of the year.

Country HPP and U18 Country State Trials

New dates have now been rescheduled for November (U14 and U16) and December (U18).  Country trials will be held over two days (with parents to provide accommodation and transportation following each day). These trials will serve in the selection of squads for the State Performance Program (SPP) and the U18 Country State team. The trials will also assist with the identification and selection of athletes for development opportunities in January. 

Metro HPP Trials

New dates have now been rescheduled for November (U14 and U16) and December (U18).  All Metro trials will be one-day trials. These trials will serve in the selection of the squads for the State Performance Program (SPP) and the Developing Athlete Program (DAP).  The trials will also assist with the identification and selection of athletes for development opportunities in January. 

U18 Metro State Trials

These trials will be held separate to the Metro HPP trials. The trials will occur over two consecutive days, with cuts made after day one. Following the trials a squad will be selected that will participate in several training sessions until it is reduced to the final team.

U20 and Ivor Burge State teams

A date for trials will be set once Head Coaches have been appointed. With the change of dates for the HSC (commencing 8 November), it is anticipated trials will be conducted in December or early January. An expression of interest to trial is now open for any interested athletes to register.

Development Tournaments

With a lot of uncertainty still surrounding interstate travel due to current border restrictions and other factors, the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup (ACJBC), Southern Cross Challenge (SCC) and the East Coast Challenge (ECC) have all been cancelled. 

D-League

Originally scheduled to take place in November, D-League in 2021 will be cancelled due to the change in calendar and rescheduling of HPP trials. 

January Events

In place of the cancelled Development Tournament events, BNSW will look to host a revamped D-League Tournament for different age groups across three separate weekends in January 2022 for athletes selected from the Country and Metro High Performance Program (HPP) trials. Some “save the dates” have been set. The finer logistics and details of these events will be communicated in the coming weeks once further information and guidelines are known regarding the sport to return.

Basketball NSW General Manager of Coaching and Development, Brett Coxsedge is thrilled that the basketball community will be able to return to the sport in the very near future.   

“This year has again been tough for kids, parents and coaches as we were forced to enter another lockdown which kept us out of stadiums. We bounced back strongly last year and are excited to be able to make plans to move forward with providing kids the opportunity to get back on the court and be active again.”

All trials and BNSW events will be operating under COVID-19 safety guidelines and will be subject to Government advice.

Registrations for all trials will open on Monday 11 October. Expressions of interest for coaches who would like to be involved in the January events will also open.

Please visit the following links on the Basketball NSW website for dates of the HPP and State trials:
https://www.bnsw.com.au/high-performance/
https://www.bnsw.com.au/state-team-trials/
https://www.bnsw.com.au/d-league/