2023 JET Coaches Announced

IMAGE: The Courier and Luke Hemer.

Basketball Ballarat is pleased to announce the Ballarat Representative Program (BRP) Head Coaches for the 2023 Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) Season and Basketball Victoria Country Events.

The BRP is made up of Junior Ballarat Miners teams ranging from Under 12’s through to U/18’s in both girls and boys.

2023 will see the return of Rob Cooper and Chris Thornton as head coaches of age groups while we extend congratulations to Lydia Brooks, Richard Morin, and Alistair Beard for stepping up into head coaching roles next season.

We welcome Jack Patterson, Alan McKinnon and Mathew Berto into our Junior program and wish them a successful season ahead.

We would like to thank our outgoing Head Coaches from 2022 many of whom will stay involved with reduced roles in 2023 including Andrew Renfree, Tamara Westwood, Matt Sheehan, Paul Rundell, Lidina Constable and Daniel Knaggs.

Basketball Ballarat Director of Coaching Luke Sunderland is thrilled with the calibre of local coaches coming through saying “This year's Junior Ballarat Representative Program sees a number of coaches continuing on from their recent successful seasons along with some new coaches also joining the program.”

Sunderland added “It is also very pleasing to see a number of coaches in our junior program that have connections to our NBL1 and Youth Championship sides. Along with coaches involved in the Basketball Victoria Country pathway programs.”

Sunderland continued “This shows that our junior players are receiving great coaching and most importantly the club is providing a genuine pathway for players and coaches alike.”

Sunderland finished with “I'm looking forward to working with all coaches and players across the program from the beginning of the tryout phase and into grading and country tournaments”

Full List of Head Coaches

U12 Boys Head Coach - Jack Patterson

U12 Girls Head Coach - Lydia Brooks

U14 Boys Head Coach - Alistair Beard

U14 Girls Head Coach - Rob Cooper

U16 Boys Head Coach - Chris Thornton

U16 Girls Head Coach - Alan McKinnon

U18 Boys Head Coach - Matthew Berto

U18 Girls Head Coach - Richard Morin

With the Head Coaches now in place Basketball Ballarat will announce tryout details within the next week and provide registration links.

If you have any questions about the tryout process or would like to get involved in the Ballarat Representative Program as an Assistant Coach or Team Manager, please contact Basketball Ballarat’s Elite Teams Manager Glenn White via 5338 1220 or Glenn.White@ballaratbasketball.com