Close to 100 of the country’s most promising basketballers gathered in Auckland this past week as part of Basketball New Zealand’s Age Group Development Camp.
Staged at Saint Kentigern College, the All New Zealand Camp catered for identified athletes in the Under 15 and Under 19 age groups, and put them through their paces under the watchful eyes of representative coaches.
Junior Tall Blacks Assistant Coach, Matt Lacey, said the camp was a great opportunity to get back into the National Team environment after what has been a long and disrupted year.
“All of us involved were eager to get back on court and reconnect with one another knowing that we hadn’t been together since February.
“This camp presented a unique opportunity for us as a coaching staff to coach and evaluate two age groups after the U17 boys team did not end up playing in their World Cup this past July. We were able to re-engage with those athletes that have been committed to our programme over the past two-years as well as welcome in a new crop of talent as we head into the final stage of our three-year cycle.
“Overall the camp was hugely positive. The players competed fiercely and maintained a high level of intensity over the course of the three days. We were able to implement key aspects of our system, teach core parts of our National Style of Play as well as provide a skill development facet to the experience as well,” said Lacey.
Under 15 New Zealand Boys’ Head Coach Mel Downer says the camp was an opportunity to give athletes an insight into the demands of elite performances.
“Players leave the camp with a greater understanding of what it takes to be a High Performance elite-level athlete as well as having a greater appreciation of what it means to wear the black singlet.
“All of those who took part in both age groups have the ambition to play basketball at a very high level and so it was our job to point them in the right direction and for them to follow that path. We’re glad we had the chance to meet with so many athletes before seeing the year out, to get a gage of where they’re at both on and off the court,” says Downer.
The camp started with the athletes undertaking physical testing, including testing on athletic ability, movement competencies, and height and length. They also competed in a National 3X3 age group competition on top of the five-aside format on-court sessions which focused on implementing the national style of play.
Off the court, various educational lessons were put on to explain the importance of getting it right away from the hardwood and upskilling them on how to look after themselves like a professional. This included team-bonding activities, nutrition, recovery discussions and future pathways seminars.
Come the end of the two three-day camps, all players were given three levels of individual feedback on their performance at the camp clarifying where they think their strengths lie and areas in which the athlete could improve to take that next step forward.
New Zealand Under 15 Girls Head Coach Lori McDaniel says the one-on-ones at the conclusion of the camp are vital to a player’s progression.
“We have individual chats with the athletes about things we want them to work on with it all coming back to our national style of play.
“Those same messages are relayed to their associations and then local coaches, which then puts everyone on the same page. This doesn’t necessarily mean their high school coach or rep coach has to put them in position to just focus on what we’ve outlined, it’s more so that everyone is aware of what we’d like to see from that player at the next camp,” says McDaniel.
Basketball New Zealand will be running a series of regional identification camps in February of 2021. These camps will mark the first activity for those athletes born in the year 2004 and are eligible for our next Junior Tall Blacks and Junior Tall Ferns program.
The 2021 camps are currently scheduled to be held on the following dates and locations:
- Lower North Island | Saturday 6 February 2021 | ASB Stadium Wellington
- South Island | Sunday 7 February 2021 | EA Stadium Ashburton
- Mid – North Island | Saturday 13 February 2021 | Trust Power Arena Taraunga
- Top of North Island | Sunday 14 February 2021 | AUT Akoranga North Shore
More on the Basketball New Zealand age-group pathway can be found here.
All New Zealand Camp 2020 Attendees
New Zealand U15 Girls:
- Mahina-A-Rangi | NORTHLAND BASKETBALL
- Ritorya Tamilo | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Waimanu Clarken | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Rangikahiwa Cooney | TAURANGA CITY BASKETBALL
- Caitlyn Ward | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Elise Gilbert | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Kaelani Albert-Neha | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Carly Ohia | ROTORUA BASKETBALL
- Aliyah King | BASKETBALL HAWKE’S BAY
- Madison Cunningham | BASKETBALL HAWKE’S BAY
- Hannah Lee | NEW PLYMOUTH BASKETBALL
- Lilly Taulelei | WELLINGTON BASKETBALL
- Holly Morgan | WELLINGTON BASKETBALL
- Tatiana Mareko | WELLINGTON BASKETBALL
- Lane Gough | WELLINGTON BASKETBALL
- Naomi Ioana Sopoaga | WELLINGTON BASKETBALL
- Maia Jones | NELSON BASKETBALL
- Ivy Brown | NORTH CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
- Karereatua Williams | CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
- Laura Ring | BASKETBALL OTAGO
- Taya Lewis
- Ella Mahuika | WEST COAST BASKETBALL
Staff:
- Lori McDaniel | Head Coach
- Pina Lissaman | Assistant Coach
- Troy Mclean | Assistant Coach
- Ryan Dubbel dam | Assistant Coach
New Zealand Under15 Boys:
- Hamza Zahran | HARBOUR BASKETBALL
- Julius Halaifonua | HARBOUR BASKETBALL
- Keller Young | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Sinipata Tuakoi | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Kalid Petzer | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Barri Merimo | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Will Shortt | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- George Turner | COUNTIES-MANUKAU BASKETBALL
- William Passi | COUNTIES-MANUKAU BASKETBALL
- William Ikahihifo | COUNTIES-MANUKAU BASKETBALL
- Seth Whinney | TAURANGA CITY BASKETBALL
- Usher Robson | TAURANGA CITY BASKETBALL
- Hohepa Chandler | TAURANGA CITY BASKETBALL
- Desmond Niko Faalupega | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Jago Robertson | NEW PLYMOUTH BASKETBALL
- Carter Berg-McLean | HUTT VALLEY BASKETBALL
- Rewi Va’a | WELLINGTON BASKETBALL
- Nicholas Book | CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
- Levi Martin | CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
- Louie Gordon | CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
- George Grant | BASKETBALL OTAGO
- Noah McDowall | BASKETBALL OTAGO
- Brody John Perry | FRANKLIN BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
- Dante Matakatea | WAITAKERE WEST AUCKLAND BASKETBALL
- Noah Campbell | FRANKLIN BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Staff:
- Mel Downer | Head Coach
- Darron Larsen | Assistant Coach
- Jayden Smith | Assistant Coach
- Jack Williamson | Assistant Coach
Junior Tall Ferns:
- Florence Dallow | HARBOUR BASKETBALL
- Tia Lassey | TAURANGA CITY BASKETBALL
- Taiana Day | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Alana Paewai | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Qaizden Stephano | HARBOUR BASKETBALL
- Lauren Tewhata | NEW PLYMOUTH BASKETBALL
- Izzy Pugh | HARBOUR BASKETBALL
- Lilly Parke | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Ramona Fuaiva’a | WAITAKERE WEST AUCKLAND BASKETBALL
- Melika Samia | TAURANGA CITY BASKETBALL
- Taniko Gardiner | TAURANGA CITY BASKETBALL
- Waiata Jennings | ROTORUA BASKETBALL
- Raquel Sampson | NEW PLYMOUTH BASKETBALL
- Gemma Walsh | NEW PLYMOUTH BASKETBALL
- Harata Coleman | BASKETBALL MANAWATU
- Hannah Mischewski | CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
- Hannah Matehaere | BASKETBALL OTAGO
- Arielle Williams Mackey | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Breeje Schuler | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Sophie Adams | CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
Staff:
- Shay Haira | Assistant Coach
- Bronwen Davidson | Assistant Coach
- George Robinson | Assistant Coach
Junior Tall Blacks:
- Tukaha Cooper | NORTHLAND BASKETBALL
- Sean Joseph Murphy | HARBOUR BASKETBALL
- Zach Riley | HARBOUR BASKETBALL
- Terence Abdon | HARBOUR BASKETBALL
- Ethan Skelton | WAITAKERE WEST AUCKLAND BASKETBALL
- Dontae Nance | WAITAKERE WEST AUCKLAND BASKETBALL
- Alex McNaught | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Robbie Coman | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Sataan Tawera | BASKETBALL AUCKLAND
- Kael Robinson | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Caleb Smiler | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Kazlo Evans | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
- Clifton Bush III | BASKETBALL HAWKE’S BAY
- Tommy Fergusson | BASKETBALL HAWKE’S BAY
- Carlin Davison | NEW PLYMOUTH BASKETBALL
- Levi Ware | PORIRUA BASKETBALL
- Evyatar Tabor | WELLINGTON BASKETBALL
- Tafara Gapare | WELLINGTON BASKETBALL
- Ahmed Essahaty | WELLINGTON BASKETBALL
- Mason Whittaker | NORTH CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
- Hunter Adam | CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
- Josh Book | CANTERBURY BASKETBALL
- Levi Ware | PORIRUA BASKETBALL
- Akiva McBirney-Griffin | WAIKATO BASKETBALL
Staff:
- Aaron Young | Assistant Coach
- Matt Lacey | Assistant Coach
- Miles Pearce | Assistant Coach
