The Sir Lance Cross Award recognizes exceptional service to Basketball. Our recipient is nominated by Canterbury Basketball.
Alan Robson first started playing basketball in 1974 at Friday night school hoops for Hillmorton High School. His talent was soon noticed at a summer camp led by Lloyd Sanders and the other American imports of the day, recognition that led to selection in the equivalent of Prem division basketball while still at school.
A highlight was being selected in the inaugural Canterbury National League team, before an ankle injury curtailed those aspirations but strengthened a focus on club basketball, winning the Canterbury Championship and every tournament entered in his final two seasons, while also serving time as Club President.
A coaching career followed, taking Canterbury age group teams over many years and winning national titles along the way. By the end of that mainstream playing and coaching career, the CV read 23 club, school, All Star, and provincial titles as a player or coach.
The late 90’s saw a change in direction as Special Olympics became the benefactor of Alan’s expertise and dedication. Since 1999 he has been the Canterbury Special Olympics Coach, won 3 national championship premier division titles, Coached the NZ team to 10th and 6th place out of 90 teams at the Special Olympics World Games in Athens and LA respectively, and picked up the prestigious Deloitte Trophy on behalf of the Basketball team for demonstrating sportsmanship and upholding the values of Special Olympics at the LA Games, and was head of delegation for the NZ World Games Team in Abu Dhabi in 2019. He remains Chairman of Special Olympics NZ.
