Australia - AIS welcomes up and coming basketball stars
The Australian Institute of Sport has launched its men's and women's basketball programs for 2008. The 27 men and women will follow in the footsteps of basketball stars like Lauren Jackson, Andrew Bogut and Patrick Mills. Men's head coach Marty Clarke says the program provides fantastic opportunities for new students.
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The Australian Institute of Sport has launched its men's and women's basketball programs for 2008.
The 27 men and women will follow in the footsteps of basketball stars like Lauren Jackson, Andrew Bogut and Patrick Mills.
Men's head coach Marty Clarke says the program provides fantastic opportunities for new students.
"They'll get a taste of international competition while they're here, both through the national junior program but also as an institute team, we go on overseas tours," he said.
"From here they'll either go into the National Basketball League, some do go to the US colleges but everyone has the ambition of to come back and play for Australia at an Olympic Games and that's really what the focus of this program is."
The program has been running since 1981 and is open to all basketball athletes around the country.
Mr Clarke says it is a long selection process and players can be offered a variety of scholarship options.
"It's a year based scholarship but generally players are on a two year scholarship ... some players get three and we've even had four year scholarships. That's dependent on things like physical development," he said.
Out of the 25 players selected in the Opal's Beijing Olympic team, 24 were former AIS scholarship holders.
Participant Kate Gaze says knowing Australian players who came from the program is inspiring.
"It's great to have played and trained with Marianna Tolo and Cayla Francis who have just made it this year who just graduated not long ago," she said.
"It's just amazing to know that they can get there and eventually maybe I can too."
Kate Gaze is the cousin of Olympic basketball player Andrew Gaze and says she has been lucky to have had such a great role model in her family.
"He's been there the whole way through ever since I was born ... hopefully I can just do half of what he has done and is doing," she said.
"He's someone I really look up to as well as the rest of my family but it's always good to have him there."