What is representative basketball?
Representative basketball is where an Association or program selects players from within it’s program and/or domestic competition to form teams to play against teams from other Associations/programs.
This is predominately done through Basketball Victoria’s Victorian Junior League (VJL) competitions which are conducted across Melbourne on Friday nights. It can also be done through playing in tournaments and arranged matches.
Past BMBA rep teams
The BMBA through its founder, Bob Mann, has a proud history of developing both elite level representative teams and players. Bob has directly coached and developed or overseen the development of well over twenty teams that have gone on to play in the States top junior competition, the Victorian Championships. Bob also has won titles in the divisions just below Victorian Championships at VJL 1 and VJL2 at both the McKinnon and Oakleigh Associations.
The BMBA in 2023 entered an U18 Boys team into two Rep tournaments and intends to enter more teams into tournaments in 2024.
What are the plans for future BMBA Rep teams?
Along with continuing to enter teams into tournaments, we will be looking to arrange practice matches through visits to other Associations for matches throughout 2024.
Through these tournaments and matches we will ultimately look to join the VJL ourselves for the 2024/25 season. Through training programs, our domestic competitions and our schools visits we will be looking to identify and bring together some of the best talent we see throughout the BMBA program
What’s involved with being a part of a rep team?
The major difference between domestic basketball and representative basketball can be summarised by one word – ‘commitment’.
Rep basketball requires players to be fully committed to their basketball. Two compulsory training sessions a week, a commitment to an individual development program. a commitment to turning up to all matches which includes tournaments, a commitment to their domestic teams and a commitment to a greater set of values than what we expect at the domestic level of basketball.
Your can check out a lift of these commitments by CLICKING HERE.
Parents and Spectator Etiquette
On top of player and parental commitments, there is certain standard of behaviour at both training and games we ask of parents and spectators. This etiquette requirement helps to create an environment that will allow coaches to perform their duties unhindered in a professional manner, provide an environment that is conducive to player development and learning, provides boundaries and guidelines for both parents and other spectators to understand what is appropriate behaviour.
This etiquette guide also provides parents with appropriate avenues to lodge any grievances. Unlike many other clubs and Associations we encourage parents to no only attend training and games but to dive into everything we are teaching their children. Without our parents our teams simply don’t function and our kids will be in a less enjoyable environment. Representative basketball is already competitive enough on the court, this etiquette sheet if observed by everybody, will ensure our program is conducted as smoothly and appropriately as possible.
Your can check out this etiquette sheet by CLICKING HERE.
Where do we play?
At the moment it’s at the venues where tournaments are held. Through the VJL we would play home games at nominated home court and away games at venues nominated by opposing Associations that we play against. This can be right across Melbourne and even in some grades in regional country areas.
To play representative basketball you need to be prepared to travel. This burden can be reduced if effective car rosters are implemented for away games where and if required. What we find however is that once parents get into the whole rep experience, they embrace the travel side of things.
Where and When is training?
Training will continue to be conducted at our main venues at Westall Primary School and De La Salle college, days and times will be published once we have come to arrangements with both schools. We will also be looking to secure more venues in 2024 so that every junior who wants to be a participant in a BMBA rep team will be able to do so. for the time being BMBA participants just attend their normal training until we secure and arrange extra sessions for them.extra sessions for them
What to do know
That is the simplest part. Simply click on the green button below, fill in our online form and express your interest in your child joining a BMBA representative team in the appropriate tick box.
If your child is already in the BMBA program you will have been identified as a player capable of playing at this level or being capable of playing at this level. If we think your son/daughter isn’t ready yet, we will provide you with our assessment and provide you with what they need to get to that level.
If your child isn’t yet in one of our BMBA programs we will arrange a session for you to bring them along to and then provide an assessment to you of whether we beleive they are ready and if not what they need to do to get to that point.
Why should you look at having your son/daughter involved in Rep Basketball
Rep basketball if done properly isn’t easy, it requires commitment and effort over a long period with no guarantee of success. Also expectations should not be for your child to go onto to be the next basketball superstar. We have had a number of our rep players go onto acheive some amazing things, but the truth is most may get the opportunity to play at an elite level through their junior careers with a further opportunity to play open age representative basketball in semi-professional leagues such as NBL1 or BIG V.
These however are not the reasons to play sport, they are simply the cream on the top of what can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience that provides a hots of life lessons to help mentor and build your child into a valued citizen within our society. It also provides valuable lessons that will enable your child to succeed at other endeavours in their life such as school, obtaining University degrees, trade qualification, starting their own business and who knows going onto be an elite level basketball coaches as a number of my former juniors have done.
Through playing Rep basketball at the BMBA if your son/daughter applies themselves to the challenge they will learn the following.
- —-> That hard work done properly is not only rewarding, but can be exhilarating.
- —-> Small goals and small wins can build to major achievements.
- —-> That embracing failure and overcoming it is vital to achieve what you want.
- —-> That a team first attitude opens up doors to all sort of possibilities.
- —-> That when your son/daughter becomes involved in a team full of others with similar values, work ethic and objectives
- then magic can happen on the court.
- —-> That when you time manage things properly, you are far more capable than what you realise.
- —-> That if you are prepared to open yourself up to others, that you will create friendships and memories for life.
These are just some of things your child will ultimately learn and values that they will cultivate by becoming a members of a BMBA representative team. I am sure you will agree if your son/daughter achieves all of this, it makes all of the effort worthwhile, no matter what success we have on the court, and we will have success.
We looking forward to welcoming you into a BMBA rep team and helping us achieve some amazing things.
FORMER REP PLAYERS WHO WENT ONTO BIGGER THINGS
Corey Maynard
- Represented South Australia 2006,07, 08
- Captained South Australia 2008
- Nationals MVP 2008
- NCAA Div University of Bryant 2008-2012
- NBL Cairns Taipans 2013
- NBL Townsville Crocodiles 2014
Owen Odigie
- Represented Victoria 2008,09,10,11
- Represented Australia 2008,09,10,11
- NBL Melbourne United 2012 – 2017
- NBL1 Kilyth Cobras 2015-2019C
- NBL1 Geelong Supercats 2020-present
Sean Macdonald
- Represented Victoria 2015, 16,17,18,19
- Represented Australia 2016, 17,18,19
- NBL1 Kilsyth Cobras 2018, 2019
- NBL Tassie Jackjumpers 2022 to present
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