Penrith Basketball will send not one but two teams to the 2024 U14 Club Championships next weekend.
48 teams – 24 Boys and 24 Girls teams – from across the country will compete at the National Club Championships, which will be held at Casey Basketball Stadium on the outskirts of Melbourne from September 21-27.
Penrith’s U14 Boys and U14 Girls teams advanced to the prestigious tournament following a wild end to the junior basketball season.
Having been at the top of the table for most of the season, Penrith’s Girls team qualified for their third consecutive National Club Championships with ease, while Penrith’s Boys team claimed the final qualification spot for NSW on the very last day of the season.
Penrith Basketball Director of Coaching Bernie Slattery said it was a huge achievement.
“The talent always ebbs and flows, but we’ve had a rich vein of talent, particularly with the girls, for a while now,” he said.
“With the boys, I’d say it’s a little bit more difficult to qualify because the competition is a bit stronger.
“Two years ago, when both teams last represented together, it was on the back of the fact that we co-hosted. Hills hosted the boys and Penrith hosted the girls, and when you host, your teams get automatic entry.”
With the junior basketball season wrapping up in late July, the sides have been working hard over the past two months to get ready for the biggest tournament of their lives.
Slattery explained how the two teams have been preparing for their national debuts.
“What we do sometimes is have our teams play friendly matches against the other Sydney teams that are attending. The U16s teams from Penrith will also have a game against the U14s to push them around a bit,” Slattery said.
“You’ve got two months to keep the kids motivated, but you’ve got to give them a break as well. It’s the top 24 teams in the nation, so it’s quite elite.”
While teams from Victoria and even Queensland often do well, Slattery is hopeful that the New South Wales teams, like Penrith, can stand up and be counted.
“While our kids traditionally aren’t the very best in the country, they are pretty close,” he said.
“Penrith have also never finished in the top half of teams in the tournament before, but you don’t really know how good everyone is until you get there.
“A positive for the future is, going to this tournament gives you a mental edge for the coming years and, a lot of kids that play in this, end up representing their state two years later.”
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.