To all Maccabi Basketball members, friends and family,
I trust you are all enjoying the action of our ongoing term 2 season. After a busy start to the term, I’m pleased with how our players and coaches have settled into the season, which has no doubt contributed to much of the on-court success we have seen.
I would like to start by congratulating the first of hopefully many title winning teams this year. The U12 Warriors and U18 Blazers (photos below) have headlined much of the success Maccabi has experienced recently, with both teams taking out their respective grand finals in the previous CSBA season.
The Warriors proved they were the best in the U12 Division 2 competition after a dominating grand final win against the Newtown Yowles. The boys never looked phased by the big occasion as contributions from all 9 players on the day secured them a 44-24 win. As a coach I could not be prouder of this team. They are a great bunch of boys and their camaraderie and passion are 2nd to none.
Later on, on that same day, the U18 Blazers took to the court in the U18 division 1 grand final against Newington. In a game that went back and forth across both halves, it was the Blazers that found themselves without the ball, up 1 point, with seconds remaining. Strong defence from the boys forced Newington to put up a tough shot that bounced off the front rim (not making the basket) ultimately crowning them the U18 Division 1 champions. I was at the game and was sitting on the edge of my seat. It was brilliant and so proud of the team. I would like to commend coach PJ Lane for this amazing achievement, as the boys became the first Maccabi team to take out the title in this division.
I would also like to take this opportunity to provide an update on our ‘Coach the Coaches’ Shane Heal. For those who are unaware, Shane attended 3 of our junior team’s fixtures at Rose Bay Secondary last month. Shane was there early on Sunday morning to watch our U14 Raptors, Lakers and Hornets play, sitting on the bench alongside our players. Shane made an effort to point out to players where he believed they had the opportunity to improve, whilst also assisting coaches with their ability to make an impact on gameday. He also had a bit of fun with the boys by getting them to play a game of “who can be the first 1 to score a left-handed layup in the game”. It was great fun and the players enjoyed it too. Our coaches involved expressed that they loved the experience of coaching alongside a former professional, who has worked closely with them to constantly improve player development. We hope to get Shane back to Maccabi Basketball again soon to continue to advance the level and quality of coaching at the club.
Finally, in exciting news for Maccabi Basketball players and fans, the club is proud to announce the start of the Maccabi Social Basketball Competition for those 18+. This social competition will aim to engage Jewish youth in a social, active and enjoyable setting, providing weekly fixtures for participants to face off against other members of the community. The competition will commence on July 1 in a 4v4 format, with fixtures taking place between 6:30 to 8:30pm at Waverley College on Thursday nights. The social competition presents an exciting new chapter for the club, which we hope will boost basketball participation rates for members of our Maccabi community.
Registrations for the competition can be completed via https://www.revolutionise.com.au/mnswbasketball/eventsregister/102030/, with team registrations due by Sunday the 13th of June. Any inquiries about any aspects of the competition can be sent through to matt@maccabibasketballnsw.com.
I would like to conclude by thanking everyone involved with the club for their ongoing support. The club is in a great position to see out the remainder of the first half of the basketball year. Looking to finish off the year in an even stronger position than where it began. We’d like to extend much of this credit to our sponsors, members and volunteers.
Warmest regards,
Maccabi Basketball President
Brad Rosen
