One of ten players selected and remarkably the only one from this region, Tom will now start an intense training schedule in readiness for the Australian Junior Championships (AJC) to be held Darwin from 6 – 13 July, 2019.
Last year Tom was selected in the National Intensive Training Program in the under 16 age group where keen young basketballers are able to hone in on their skills in preparation for the elite level.
As a lower age player he was then selected as an emergency for the Under16 Victoria Country State side for the Australian Under-16 Junior Championships in July, 2018. The main squad was all top age players that year.
This year, at age 14 and almost standing 200cm tall, Tom and the rest of the new squad can now make their own mark.
Victoria Country Under-16 Boys head coach Joel Anderson said the side, full of fresh faces, has plenty of multifaceted players ready to take on the best in Darwin.
“The roster features a lot of quickness and length which we hope will cause a lot of problems for opposition offences,” Anderson said.
Reflecting on the try outs and selection Anderson said; “All the players and coaches were really pumped after selections and they’re really hungry to build their own identity and take on the best the other states have to offer”.
A very excited Tom, who now plays in the Shepparton Basketball Competition and attends secondary school at Goulburn Valley Grammar knows what’s ahead of him.
“I am stoked and keen to get started with the training, which is going to pretty full on,” Tom said.
Tom has always loved playing basketball since he was eight years old, but the turning point of when he wanted to play the game more seriously came after defeating close mates in a team that were regarded as the underdogs in a local grand final when he was just 10 years old.
“Yeah, it was a nice feeling, those sort of things drive you but so have my coaches,” Tom said.
Tom heaped praise on Yarrawonga Mulwala Basketball Association (YMBA) coach Brett Harvey who has assisted and mentored him throughout his junior playing years.
“Brett taught me a lot about the game, particularly about having a good basketball IQ, knowing where to go and what to do next,” Tom said.
And Tom’s advice for YMBA juniors; “the key is to have perseverance, keep training and listening to your coaches and work on areas they tell you need to work on.”
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