Edition 20 - January 2025
A message from the Club President
Happy New Year!
To be honest 2025 is well underway. As you look for that lunch box, check of the booklist and realize that last year’s uniform just does not fit it signals that its just about time to get back to basketball. The break is over and its time to hit the boards and not a moment too soon.
The Summer 2024-25 season recommences Friday 31 January, Saturday 1 February and Monday 3 February. Training commencement will vary and is not on Monday 27 January due to the Australia Day public holiday.
Late last year the Association released its revised rules. We have posted these on our website at https://www.wattleparksaints.org.au/junior-domestic-rules .
One area that always gives rise to many questions each season is what to do if you are short on players and need to use fill-ins, particularly to avoid paying the $140 walkover penalty or worse unintendedly losing premiership points. We have added some explanation to our website and I would encourage everyone, but coaches and team managers in particular to study up before finals.
When you are unsure, like everything in basketball, it comes back to the spirit of the game. Teams using fill-ins should not utilize players that are going to greatly improve the grading of the team. Yes I know other teams routinely do this and recently the Association has stripped teams of their points where they have been found to have used unregistered or wrongly graded players as set out in the eligibility matrix.
From a Club perspective we would prefer to avoid not fielding a team to play a scheduled fixture wherever possible. If you find yourself likely to be short let your AGC know and place a player request in the Team Managers WhatsApp chat.
We have details of our upcoming Sausage sizzle fundraising event at Bunnings. If you are able to help out please register or just come by and grab a snag.
Also we learn a bit more about our new Uniform Co-Ordinator and the experiences of one of our new Junior Coaches.
Please enjoy the read and I’ll look forward to seeing you courtside as we get back to playing basketball in 2025.
Shayne La Combre
Club President
Go Saints - Brave, True, One
In this edition
Sign up today! Bunnings Sausage Sizzle on Saturday February 22nd
Junior Coach Profile – introducing Harriet Doig
Welcome to our new Uniform Manager, Ayswarya Babu (Ash)!
Thank you to our Sponsors
Uniform update
Dates to remember
Sign up today! Bunnings Sausage Sizzle on Saturday February 22nd
We’re firing up the grill at the Box Hill Bunnings on Saturday February 22nd to raise much-needed funds for our junior basketball club—and we need your help!
We’ve organised short shifts to fit everyone’s schedule, so please consider signing up for a spot (or two) to help us out. Every sausage sold will help us cover costs to run the club, and make a real difference for our young athletes. There are different roles to choose from—cooking, serving, or handling the takings.
By volunteering, you’ll be making a real difference for the team and the wider club community.
If you can spare a little time, please sign up for a shift. Your support will help us keep our kids on the court, doing what they love, and it’s a great way to meet other club families. Sign up today - https://volunteersignup.org/WDC4E
Junior Coach Profile – introducing Harriet Doig
Junior Coaches play an important role at the Wattle Park Saints. We caught up with Harriet Doig, coach of the Saturday Under 13.5 boys team.
Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Harriet and I go to Emmaus College and this year I'm going into year 8.
How long have you been coaching and which team are you coaching this season?
This is my first season coaching and I'm coaching the Boys Saturday U13.5's.
What do you enjoy most about coaching?
The thing I enjoy most about coaching is that I'm able to look at the game at a different view point, a different perspective and this helps me understand basketball better.
Can you share a particularly memorable moment you've had as a coach (doesn't have to be limited to this season!)?
One memorable moment I've had as a first season coach is the first time I met my team at our first game, I was really nervous but the parents of players in my team made it really easy and it ended up being a really good game.
What do you believe is the most important lesson for young players to learn about basketball?
The most important lesson is for young players to learn is that basketball not always about winning because you can learn and improve just as much by losing a game, a couple of games or all of your games.
What would you say to anyone considering taking up coaching?
If your considering coaching I would say just go for it because for me it has ended up being a really fun experience and I have learnt how to be a coach and what and how to give advice to players.
Welcome to our new Uniform Manager, Ayswarya Babu (Ash)!
We’re thrilled to share that Ash Babu has joined the Wattle Park Saints Committee in the role of Uniform Manager. The uniform manager plays an important role in ensuring our players have the gear they need to get onto the court. We asked Ash to share a little about her background.
I am Ayswarya Babu (Ash). My background is in retail, e-commerce. I work as Trade and Merchandising Specialist.
I have 2 boys, Akshay, 10 years and Rohan, 3.5 years. Akshay has been with wattle park saints for 2 years now. Akshay plays for U11 Saints 3 for Saturday competition and absolutely love playing for the club.
I was team manager for past year and loved working with the club and how everything comes together every season. Looking forward to working with Ellen and club as uniform coordinator and contribute to the great work all parents do to make this dream work. It has always amazed me how volunteers have put in the work to make this whole system work. I am excited to be part of this team. I have volunteered in the past for club activities and has seen first hand how hard everybody works and I believe this would be an opportunity to give back to the club. Thank you for the opportunity and all the hard work the club does for everybody involved.
Ash can be reached at: Uniforms@wattleparksaints.org.au
Our Sponsors
We are very grateful to our sponsors – thanks to these sponsors, we have been able to provide top-notch coaching and development, along with coaching kits to our young aspiring Junior coaches in our community. This support has not only improved their confidence, leadership and basketball skills but also instils valuable life lessons around teamwork, discipline, perseverance. It's heartening to see this positive impact and how sponsorship makes a difference.
Thank you to our season sponsors
Pizza & donuts : 668 Canterbury Rd Surrey Hills; www.pizzarepublica.com.au
The Prefurred Groomer: https://theprefurredgroomer.com.au/
ABAX Accounting: Contact John Hearn jehearn@hotmail.com
PICAC: A unique industry-led training centre with campuses located in Brunswick, Geelong and Narre Warren Contact: info@picac.edu.au
Bendigo Bank: We would like to thank Community Bank Inner East for their support. Over $9.5 million dollars has been invested in the local community since 2003. This, and many other projects in our local community may not have happened without this support. We encourage you to consider the Community Bank for your banking needs.
Benetas is a leading not-for-profit provider of residential aged care, retirement living, respite, in-home and community services.
Camberwell IGA : 1401 Toorak Road Camberwell
Everything's Connected Progressive Osteopathy : 734 Riversdale Road Camberwell
International Sports Camps: https://iscamps.com.au/
Uniform update
For uniform enquiries, head to Uniforms@wattleparksaints.org.au
Our email address has changed
We’ve updated our email address to info@wattleparksaints.org.au
If you need to get in contact with our President, Shayne, send an email to President@wattleparksaints.org.au
For uniform enquiries, head to Uniforms@wattleparksaints.org.au
Share your game day pictures
We would love to receive any game pictures from our Monday, Friday and Saturday Teams, so we can celebrate the players, coaches and WPS community in Halo and on our Facebook & Instagram pages.
We’re always on the lookout for any pictures of our players in action. You can send these to us at info@wattleparksaints.org.au or through Facebook (WattleParkSaints) using Messenger.
Make sure you let us know a little about the match and the players.
Close Action shots are great, team shots with Coaches are even better!
Dates for the diary
Friday night competition resumes - Friday 31st January
Saturday competition resumes - Saturday 1st February
Monday night competition resumes - Monday 3rd February
Bunnings Sausage Sizzle - Saturday 22nd February
Monday night competition Grand final - Monday 31st March
Friday night competition Grand final - Friday 4th April
Saturday competition Grand final - Saturday 5th April
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