2020-21 High Performance Program Trials | Recap

Written by Jaylee Ismay
6 November, 2020

The 2020/21 Basketball NSW High Performance Program (HPP) trials have successfully concluded for 2020.

After an abnormal 2020 basketball season, over eight trial sessions were scheduled across Metro and Country New South Wales in four age groups (U14, U15, U16 & U18) with over 1000 athletes registered. 

Basketball New South Wales’ High-Performance Program is a three-tier system developed to identify, develop, and foster the skills of young athletes who aspire to compete at the representative, national, and international levels of basketball. With the cancellations of the Australian Country Junior Basketball Championships (ACJBC), East Coast Challenge (ECC) and Southern Cross Challenge (SCC) for 2021, the introduction of three new state-based events will be the highlight of the HPP calendar for next year. 

The three new internal events that our athletes were trialling for were;

BNSW Hoopfest
Date: 4-7 January 2021
Venue: Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre (Penrith)
Age group: U16 and U18

Sand Slam
Date: 9-11 January 2021
Venue: Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre (Manly)
Age group: U14

BNSW Shootout
Date: 16-18 January 2021
Venue: Hills Basketball Stadium (Castle Hill)
Age group: U15 and U17

All of the above events will involve training sessions and Tournament play. The implementation of the NSW “Style of Play” concepts and the importance of developing “Team Culture” and adherence to the “NSW values” will also be emphasised at each of the events. 

Athletes also trialed for selection to our annual D-League tournament, our various Metro & Country U18 State Squads for the 2021 Australian Junior Championships and the State Performance Program (SPP) and Developing Athlete Program (DAP).

Selected athletes will continue to work under the BNSW High Performance curriculum with athletes working with various network and BNSW head coaches in regular hubs and training camps across the state following government regulations.  

General Manager of Coaching and Development, Brett Coxsedge said he was impressed with the high quality and number of athletes that put their hands up to participate in the BNSW Pathways. 

“It was wonderful to see new kids we’ve never witnessed before getting an opportunity in our Basketball NSW programs,” Coxsedge said. 

“After an unprecedented 2020, it was exciting for athletes and coaches to get back on court and pick up from where they had stopped with their development.”

Basketball NSW would like to thank all our participants that attended trials along with all of our coaches that assisted over the past month.