16/05/2019
Oceania
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Macfarlane and Sclater receive inaugural Marty Handson Scholarship

Gold Coast (Australia) - Basketball Victoria partnered with FIBA Oceania to launch the Marty Handson Coaching Scholarship and have chosen Gail Macfarlane and Kaleb Sclater to receive coaching opportunities including a Coaching Tour in the Oceania Region.

Macfarlane and Sclater were selected through Basketball Victoria Country’s U14 Skills Days and will become part of the Basketball Victoria Country’s Regional Academy as an on-floor coach. This scholarship culminates in December 2019 as the coaches will spend a week under a National Basketball Federation member of FIBA Oceania.

Macfarlane, has been involved in country basketball with her association to the Traralgon Amateur Basketball Association since moving to Traralgon as a junior and has appreciated the help she’s received over the years and wants to give back through this scholarship.

“The support from Dave Huxtable and Jodie Harlow particularly in our region from Basketball Victoria Country believing in me and giving me coaching opportunities endlessly, I’m always grateful and thankful for those," Macfarlane said.

“The opportunity to work with other athletes and with FIBA Oceania and what they have in store for us and developing a program to share that love of the game with other people is really exciting," she added.

The second scholar, Sclater who is from the Maffra Basketball Association is excited to carry on the incredible work that Handson and other elite Country coaches have instilled within the community.

“It’s pretty special. Marty’s from down our way and I still remember Marty from our skills days when I was a kid - he’s a big name throughout our area, as well as Basketball Victoria and Basketball Victoria Country, so to be the first scholarship recipient, it’s pretty special," Macfarlane said.

“I’d just like to thank Basketball Victoria Country and FIBA Oceania – it’s a massive honor to be given this and it’s going to help me greatly.

Basketball Victoria Country Manager David Huxtable stated his excitement for the opportunities that will be given to the chosen coaches of the scholarship program.

“Kaleb and Gail have showcased their passion and desire for the country basketball over a number of years and we’re looking to develop them as leaders going forward with the Marty Handson Scholarship. It was important to Basketball Victoria Country, in conjunction with FIBA Oceania, to provide an elite pathway for coaches to rise up in our sport throughout regional Victoria," Huxtable said.

“We also actioned the need to have two scholarships – one male and one female – to give further opportunities to female coaches throughout the state in our female coaching development strategy," he added.

The coaching scholarship is a tribute to Victorian Country coach Marty Handson who passed away in 2016. Handson was an influential basketball personality in Victoria Country and abroad as a High-Performance Coach, FIBA Commission Member and FIBA Coach Educator.

FIBA