2023 was a successful year for Iramoo Basketball, as we continue our vision to not only grow our club, but more importantly, get the youngsters of our community on court and learning new skills.
Coach development and networking has been a major focus with the implementation of regular coach meetings, a coaching chat group and coach training courses, just some of the elements we have put in place this past year. These opportunities have allowed our coaches to make connections with not only each other, but also with members of the committee – thus making the process of reaching out for support, advice or assistance when needed, far easier. Alongside our coaching coordinator, Matt Stephens, we have a wonderful team of coaches behind us, and without them – we simply could not put teams on the court each week. Several of our coaches also take on multiple teams each season, for which we are truly grateful. Thank you to all our coaches for your commitment to, and development of, our Iramoo Basketballers. You are appreciated!
In 2023 we saw growth across our younger age groups once again with the number of teams jumping from 27 to 40 junior teams by the end of the year. This is an amazing level of growth and reflects the community-based approach that we have at Iramoo. The recommencement of the Mini Moos program has also been a major factor in us being able to field 3 under 8 teams as the Mini Moos program has directly fed into our under 8s. This weekend we have 12 teams competing in Junior finals – we wish all those teams the best of luck!
2023 also saw the development of our senior representation with the inclusion of a senior men’s team alongside the three women’s teams we had competing during summer season. Since having an Iramoo senior men’s team on court we have had several coaches and parents look to get involved in the playing side of things which is wonderful. We are hoping to run another team in the upcoming winter season as well.
Iramoo’s development off court within our committee has been a major factor in the club’s success. The development of our committee this year, not only in size but also in collaboration and involvement has been outstanding. This is a point of pride for us as the last few years has seen a small number of committee members taking on multiple roles. Having Jackie, Matt and Sam join us in an official capacity has been amazing. Their willingness to jump in the deep end and take on new and exciting roles for the club has made the organisation of events and implementation of new programs and practices a reality for the club, which has undoubtably played a major part in the growth of the club. The recognition of the work of our committee from the members of our club has been lovely.
Volunteers for community events like the Bunnings BBQ we ran in December last year are so appreciated. It was wonderful to have coaches, players and parents help alongside our committee members at the BBQ in December last year. Events like this help us to keep our fees low – which in turn benefits all families. Thank you to all those who contributed to this community event. Thank you for representing Iramoo Basketball!
A point of pride in 2023 for Iramoo has also been the success of our junior athletes within the pathways available not only at Wyndham but also beyond. Seeing players such as Lauren Jones, Mackenzie Drew and Rachel Kerr who have played out their junior careers at Iramoo and then developed their basketball along the Wyndham Rep pathway and now into the senior programs at a championship level as well as Lauren navigating a college basketball career, is a not only a demonstration of the strong history of our club but also the work ethic of these players. The exciting part for Iramoo is also the role models that these senior girls are to our junior players. From a personal point of view, having my daughter Zahli coached by Mackenzie at a rep level and then seeing the genuine excitement and joy our junior players had watching the success of these senior girls on court during the final’s series provided hours of inspiration for the new wave of rep players we have like Zahli, Indi, Emma and Aleeah. Visible pathways like this are so important for our athletes and the families involved in the club. We are so proud of the way these girls have, and continue to represent Iramoo Basketball Club.
A testament to the strength our Iramoo community, and a celebration of the success of our players was apparent during our Presentation Day at Inflatable World. What an amazing evening of celebrations for the families involved in the club, a chance for players to come together and our teams and individual players to be recognised for their achievements. Support from our club sponsors saw us running a raffle to fundraise for the coaching kits we have introduced, club equipment and the free registration apparel that we were able to provide for families. The feedback we received from this night was overwhelmingly positive and once again I thank the committee and the team of people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the evening was a success. It’s events like these – when we see our Iramoo community come together – that illustrate the true nature of our club.
Writing this reflection is bittersweet for me this year, as I not only reflect on the year that was 2023, but also the place that Iramoo Basketball has played in the lives of my family as we embark on a new journey in NSW. When I look back at the club, and all the memories and development it has provided for my children in the past 6 or so years, I can’t help but have a sense of pride for the direction we are heading. Iramoo Basketball Club is an incredible asset to the community and the families involved and I can’t wait to follow along with the new committee and see what else we can achieve.
Thank you for all the incredible support you have given me in my roles as President/Registrar/Uniforms – in particular to Carla Lunardi and Sharon Jones – there is no way we could have got to the point we are now, without all the behind the scenes work that came in those COVID years, endless hours of phone calls and emails trying to get players back on court. Thank you for the unwavering support, for taking my calls and being my sounding boards. I truly appreciate you, more than you know. Having people on our committee who are willing to put in so many hours for little to no recognition provides the backbone for the club. To the new wave of committee members coming on board tonight, I cannot thankyou enough for getting involved – it is an amazing club to be a part of and I look forward to seeing the ongoing success!
Jade Hodges
President
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