After nine years as basketball president Dr Amanda Wheaton handed over the reigns at the AGM on December 8 and was announced as a Life Member of Yarrawonga Mulwala Basketball Association (YMBA).
“It is such an honour to be awarded a Life Membership to the club I have had so much to do with over the past 12 years,” she told the Yarrawonga Chronicle.
“I loved playing basketball growing up, I love watching my kids play and I love being part of this association, and so to be recognised with a life membership means a lot to me.”
Amanda has enjoyed seeing the club flourish and been happy to have been a part of its growth.
“It is also a great honour to be presented Life Membership at the same time as Brett Harvey, as Brett has also been amazing over the years developing our domestic and representative players and he has been a great support to me,” she said.
The outgoing president joined the committee in 2011 when her son started playing in U10s, elected vice president in 2012 and president in 2013.
Over the past 12 years she has held other roles such as age group manager, domestic coach, Aussie Hoops co-ordinator and coach, referee co-ordinator, referee, registrar, media correspondent, girls representative team coach and been on the representative committee.
Then there’s the role of funding officer gaining tens of thousands of dollars for new uniforms, equipment and courses for coaches and referees.
Her biggest highlights and successes have been resurrecting the adults competition in 2015 to give adults an avenue to play basketball, as there was no senior competition.
It was initially set up as a mixed competition, which then developed into separate men’s and women’s competitions. Now there are two senior seasons.
Dividing the mixed junior competition into boys and girls has resulted in increased female participation. Seeing the representative component of the association develop and thrive with the help and guidance of Brett Harvey has been a highlight.
“Our Aussie Hoops Program is thriving and is a great feeder into our junior domestic competition,” Amanda said.
“Forging forward with plans for a new multi-sports stadium and gaining recent funding to do so is also another highlight.”
Awards-wise, Amanda was the 2018 Basketball Victoria Country Female Volunteer of the Year and 2018 Basketball Victoria Advancing Women in Basketball Award, and the 2022 Yarrawonga Godfathers Godmother of the Year Award. This year she was made a Yarrawonga Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.
Local basketball has grown enormously during Amanda’s reign as president. In 2013 the number of junior players was 198, compared to today’s 265. Aussie Hoops participants in 2013 totalled 45 and there are currently 74. Senior players in 2013 was zero. There are now 83. The association has programs from ages 5 to senior.
Junior boys and girls played in a mixed team together in a mixed competition, as there weren’t enough girls to have a separate competition. Now there are separate boys and girls competitions.
There was one representative team playing in regional tournaments. Now there are 12 teams representing Yarrawonga Mulwala.
YMBA now has ten Life Members with Amanda and the Brett Harvey joining Don Cooper, Allan Williams, John Halfpenny, John Levesque, Jim Ralph, Gail Ralph, Sue Bigger and Carmel Murray.
“We join some elite company, with Gail Ralph, Sue Bigger and Carmel Murray still active members after many years,” Amanda said.