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1 HIGH PERFORMANCE PLAN EXTRACT 2012 – 2016
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HIGH PERFORMANCE PLAN EXTRACT
2012 – 2016
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Background On 3 April, 1946 the Western Australian Basketball Federation (Inc.) (Basketball WA) was formed.
Basketball WA is responsible for the governance, development and delivery of the sport of basketball
in Western Australia.
Basketball WA is an affiliated member of Basketball Australia which is recognised as the governing and
controlling body for the sport of basketball in Australia.
Basketball Australia was initially formed in 1939 by the New South Wales and Victorian Basketball
Associations. Basketball Australia is responsible for running the National Basketball Leagues, National
Teams and National Junior Championships. Basketball Australia is part of the Federation of
International Basketball (FIBA) of which Australia is one of 213 nations playing basketball. Australia is
currently ranked fifth in the world by FIBA after the 2011 Men/Women combined rankings after zone
championships. One of the greatest strengths of basketball is that it is played throughout the world
and is recognised as an Olympic and World Championship sport.
Within Western Australia, basketball continues to grow and is now recognised as the second largest
team sport within the state. Western Australia has 85,600 people playing basketball of which
approximately 26,500 are registered participants. Basketball WA is a not for profit organisation
consisting of a Board of seven members of which five are elected positions and two are appointed.
Basketball WA has fourteen full time staff who administer the sport throughout Western Australia.
Basketball in Western Australia has celebrated a rich tradition of success on the national scene through
both the National Basketball League (NBL) and Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL). The Perth
Wildcats have won five NBL Championships and have not missed the finals since entering the league in
1982.
On the Women’s side, during the Perth Breakers era the team won one championship and appeared in
two grand finals. At this time the Breakers were part of the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS)
program. Not only has WA had success at a senior national level but it has also won seven Australian
National Junior Championships through the Under 14 to Under 20 age groups.
Internationally Basketball WA has also had its share of success and has produced world class and
international athletes. Athletes who have been selected to represent their country in the Australian
Boomers Men’s Program and the Australian Opals Women’s Team include Luc Longley, Andrew Vlahov,
Martin Cattalini, CJ Bruton, Stephen Black, Rohanee Cox, Tully Bevilaqua and Maryanne Defranchesco.
The Australian Boomers first played in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics finishing twelfth overall, only
defeating Singapore and Thailand.
The Boomers failed to qualify for the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo but would re-enter the international
scene qualifying for the 1970 FIBA World Championships for the first time. The highest ever finish for
the Boomers at an international event is fourth placing at the 1988, 1996 and 2000 Olympics. The
1988 Seoul Olympics could be considered a turning point for the Boomers as the Andrew Gaze led
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Boomers finished fourth and a young Western Australian, Luc Longley first hit the international scene
and would go on to win three National Basketball Association (NBA) Championships with the Chicago
Bulls. The Australian Boomers would reach the same heights in Atlanta in 1996 losing to Croatia in the
bronze medal play off and then would repeat the performance at the Sydney 2000 Olympics losing to
Lithuania again to finish fourth overall with a bronze medal still eluding the team.
For the Australian Opals, the first taste of international tournaments was in Brazil at the 1957 World
Championships. The team beat Cuba and Peru to finish tenth overall. The Opals would not compete
again until 1967 at the World Championships in Czechoslovakia where again a win over Italy would
leave the Opals in tenth position. The year 1979, marked a significant turning point for the Opals with
a fourth place finish at the World Championships in Korea with wins over Italy, France, and Japan.
In 1976, Women’s basketball was included at the Olympics for the first time but Australia did not
qualify for this event and it wasn’t until 1984 that the Opals qualified for the Olympic Games in Los
Angeles finishing fifth out of the six team tournament. In the 1988 Seoul Olympics the Opals finished
fourth overall losing to powerhouse USSR who won the bronze medal. In 1996 the Opals were to have
their first taste of Olympic medals at the Atlanta Olympics winning a bronze medal, beating the
Ukraine and capturing Australia’s first ever basketball medal at an international event.
In 1998 at the World Championships in Germany, the Opals were to repeat this feat capturing bronze
again. The Sydney 2000 Olympics saw high hopes for the Opals as a gold medal prospect but they fell
to the powerful USA to finish second and win an Olympic silver medal. In 2002 at the World
Championships in China the Opals would recover from a semi-final defeat from the USA to defeat
Korea for the bronze medal.
In the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the Opals would win their second straight Olympic silver medal
falling again to the hands of the USA. The World Championship in 2006 was to see the Opals fortunes
change and this would be the first gold medal to be won by an Australian senior basketball team with
a convincing victory over Russia. The 2008 Beijing Olympics would again place Australia against the
might of the USA for a gold medal with the USA proving the Opals nemesis beating the Opals and
earning Australia another Olympic silver medal.
Australia is represented at an Under 19 international level by the Australian Emu’s Men’s and
Australian Gems Women’s teams. The Emus first competed in 1979 and have participated in every
tournament since. The Emus highest finish occurred in 2003 with a gold medal victory over Lithuania.
The Gems started their campaign with the first Under 19 World Championship held in 1985. In 1993
the Gems tasted success by winning Australia’s first ever gold medal at a FIBA event. In 1997 Australia
won a silver medal despite the efforts of WA superstar Rohanee Cox who scored 22 points in the gold
medal game against the USA. The Australian Gems have finished in the top six since the tournaments
inception which is an outstanding record.
Basketball is one of the most inclusive sports played in the world, with participants with physical
disability, intellectual disability, vision and hearing impaired, having the opportunity to play in national
and international events. Western Australia has also celebrated high levels of national and
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international success in the inclusion area. The Perth Wheelcats are a member of the National
Wheelchair Basketball League and have had great success at a national level. The Wheelcats have won
six National Championships, been runners up twice, and since 2001 have not missed a finals series.
The Australian Rollers, Australia’s National Men’s Wheelchair team, have had great international
success. The Rollers have won two Paralympic gold medals in 1996 and 2008 and won the World
Championship in 2010. Western Australia currently has four male world class athletes in Brad Ness,
Justin Everson, Shaun Norris and Michael Hartnet in the Rollers squad. The Australian Gliders,
Australia’s National Women’s Wheelchair team have tasted success winning one Paralympic silver
medal and two bronze medals in 2000, 2004 and 2008 respectively. Western Australia currently has
two female emerging international world class athletes in Claire Burzynski and Amber Merrit.
Summary of Western Australian Basketball Performances at
Australian Championships
Perth Wildcats (National Basketball League)
Entered the NBL in 1982
Five NBL Championships
Have not missed finals
Perth Breakers, Lynx, Waves (Women’s National Basketball League)
Entered the WNBL in 1986
One WNBL Championship
Gold Medals at Australian National Junior Championships:
1985 Under 18 Men – WA
1994 Under 14 Girls – Willetton
1999 Under 18 Men – WA Metropolitan
2000 Under 18 Men – WA Metropolitan
2001 Under 14 Boys – Willetton
2003 Under 16 Boys – WA Metropolitan
2006 Under 14 Girls – Willetton
The following Western Australian athletes have represented Australia
at senior events: Andrew Vlahov CJ Bruton Rohanee Cox
Luc Longley Stephen Black Tully Bevilaqua
Martin Cattalini Mark Worthington Maryanne Defranchesco
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Introduction
The Basketball WA High Performance Plan has been developed to support the requirements of
Basketball Australia, the sport’s national governing body and has been developed in conjunction with
the Basketball WA, Strategic Plan four year outcomes.
Basketball Australia has developed a National Performance Program (NPP), which is designed to “fast
track” emerging international athletes with the aim to produce a better quality international player and
greater success at international tournaments. Basketball Australia has requested that each State
Association incorporate the NPP into their high performance programs and provide an underpinning
junior development program to support the NPP.
Basketball WA conducted a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to
determine if the current High Performance Program was sufficient to support the NPP. The results
indicated that Basketball WA had a major gap in the high performance pathway.
The existing national and state program, the National Intensive Training Program (NITP), has been
operating for twenty years and whilst it was originally designed to train elite athletes, due to increased
participation levels and greater demands to produce international ready athletes, the program outgrew
its resources which ultimately lead to a reduced quality of athlete. The NITP had limited access to
sports science and sports medicine programs and now does not meet the requirements of the NPP.
The NITP was designed for the 14-17 year old age groups which left a gap in the pathway for athletes
aged 18 years and above which is now the target age group of the NPP. Athletes who turn 18 years
old are looking to head to the USA College system to further their player development and receive
additional support services such as strength and conditioning, sports science and nutrition. Basketball
Australia has stipulated that these services are to be included in the state’s NPP to increase the quality
and rate of development for potential international representatives.
The NITP has not received any additional funding through Basketball Australia since its inception which
has severely limited the ability to employ staff and services to provide a high performance program.
The area of sports science, sports medicine and technology has grown significantly and are commonly
used by other country’s elite junior development programs. Australia is slipping behind world trends
in athlete development and the NPP aims to correct this. There is an urgent need to establish a High
Performance Program with an integrated sports science and sports medicine program that will lead to
the development of future elite WA athletes who have the potential to represent Australia at the
international level.
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High Performance Program The following diagram depicts the structure of the Basketball WA High Performance Program.
Basketball WA is responsible for the underpinning programs from Hotshots to WA-ITP. Basketball WA
will further be responsible for specific oversight and some delivery components of the NPP.
A summary of the various programs is as follows:
The National Performance Program (NPP)
Basketball WA has redesigned its High Performance Plan to incorporate the National Sporting
Organisations (NSO) / Basketball Australia (BA) - National Performance Program (NPP). The creation of
the BWA NPP program will cater for the top tier of athletes within Western Australia that have the
potential to represent Australia. This will include elite men’s and women’s National Team player’s as
well as junior athletes who have been identified through the WA Intensive Training Program (WA-ITP)
and the Australian Junior National Championships and who have the potential to represent Australia in
the future. This program will include sports science, strength and conditioning and sports medicine
support services.
WA Intensive Training Program (WA-ITP)
In order for the NPP to be successful, a second tier program will be established that will replace the
previous National ITP model. The WA-ITP will be established to integrate into the current state team
model and will include athletes with the potential to represent WA at a National Championship. The
WA-ITP will involve athletes aged 15-17 years of age. These athletes will then be involved with the
U16 and U18, WA state team programs.
The WA-ITP will run from September to February each year and act as preparation for the state team
programs to be conducted under the supervision of the High Performance Manager. This program will
Australian Teams
NPP
WA-ITP
U15 FDP
U13/14 FDP
Hotshots
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encompass aspects of the NPP including a strength and conditioning program, individualised
performance plans and individual training sessions.
U15 Future Development Program (FDP)
To underpin the NPP and the WA-ITP, the U15 FDP has been developed to improve the skills of
basketball athletes in this age group. This age group has been identified as a key age for skill
development. The U15 FDP will identify, monitor, support and teach athletes who demonstrate state
and international potential. The U15 FDP will focus purely on skill development and the creation of a
training work ethic and knowledge to support the athlete moving into future high performance
programs.
U13/U14 Future Development Program (FDP)
The objective of the U13-14 Future Development Program is to emphasise to athletes the importance
of developing a work ethic, concentrating on the correct teaching of individual skills and some team
components.
Hotshots Program
The Hotshots Program is the first stage of the talent identification process and focuses on teaching
“FUNdamentals” to athletes in this age group. Hotshots caters for athletes aged under twelve years of
age. Each of the twelve metropolitan and country regions will host two skills days with all athletes
invited to a two-day Hotshots Jamboree.
Basketball WA Strategy
The High Performance Plan is a key component of Basketball WA’s Strategic Plan. Our high level Vision
and Purpose are as follows:
Our Vision
For basketball to become the sport of choice for Western Australian families in the 21st century.
Our Purpose
To grow and develop basketball so it becomes one of the top three sports of choice in Western
Australia.
Our High Performance Purpose
To provide basketball athletes, coaches and officials with the opportunity to achieve excellence within
Western Australia.
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Core Values
In the delivery of our High Performance Plan, we will act in accordance with our values which are as
follows:
Unity – As a united force, we will be able to achieve our goals and objectives. Decisions will be made in
the interests of Basketball in Western Australia as a whole.
Integrity – All of our activities, both on and off the court, will be conducted with integrity. Acting with
integrity includes acting ethically and with honesty, respect and professionalism.
Excellence – We will strive for excellence in everything we do. In order to achieve excellence we will
seek to continuously improve, deliver on our promises and be accountable to our members.
Innovation – We will be open to new ideas and be innovative in pursuing our vision and achieving our
purpose.
Passion – Our passion, enthusiasm and energy will underpin all of our activities and drive us in pursuit
of our goals.
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An overview of the BWA High Performance Program is as follows:
Age Group Program Length Description Month
U18 + National Performance Program Yearly Individual Performance Programs and small group sessions Ongoing
Weekly sessions Small group sessions at regional centres Nov-Feb
Four x one Day Camps Development camps with Individual Performance Plans Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar
U16/U17 WA-Intensive Training Program Two Day Hi Performance Camp
Specialised sessions from WA's elite coaches including nutrition, strength and conditioning lectures October
U16/U18 Black and Gold Camp Two Day State Development Camp U16-U18 camp for all athletes February
U16/U17 Guard/Post/ Shooting Camps Specialised clinics open to all athletes April-August
Talented Athlete Program Eight week development program for selected athletes Feb-April
Three Day Talented Athlete Camp Three day central camp for further skill development and games December
Two Day All-star Camp Two day central camp for further skill development and games September
U15 Future Development Program Two x One Day Camps
Introduce athletes to the appropriate level of work which is necessary to improve. Emphasis is on individual skill development and playing within a team structure. April/July
Two Day Talented Athlete Camp Specialised camp teaching further advanced skills December
Two Day All-star Camp Two day central camp for skill development and games September
U13/14 Future Development Program Two x 1 Day Regional Camps
Teaching athletes the importance of developing a work ethic, concentrating on the correct teaching of individual skills and some team components. April/July
Two Day Jamboree Camp open to all participants to a fun camp September
U12 Hotshots Two skills days in 12 regions
The objective of the U12 Hot Shots Development Program is participation based on FUNdamentals. This is the stage that athletes (and parents) are introduced to BWA Development Programs. April/July
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High Performance Objectives Basketball WA has identified the following objectives as being the focus areas for the high
performance program in WA for 2012 – 2016.
To continue the development of a nationally recognised high performance program in Western
Australia in line with Basketball Australia objectives.
To provide accessibility to high performance coaching for all athletes in both country and
metropolitan regions.
To develop athletes, coaches and officials within the BWA High Performance Program, with a view
to national and international representation.
To create a basketball high performance centre of excellence in WA to foster a cohesive
environment between athletes, parents, and coaches.
To identify and test younger age athletes identified with the specific skill set or anthropological
measurements aligning them to desired needs for elite basketball athletes.
To provide local, interstate and international competition opportunities for nationally ranked
athletes.
To provide selected basketball athletes with support to be able to compete at national and
international junior basketball championships.
To develop a program that will strive to achieve regular top six placing’s at national junior
basketball events.
To develop a program that will produce a greater number of WA athletes, coaches and officials
making Australian representative squads and teams.
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High Performance Personnel Structure
Basketball WA employs a number of staff to implement the outcomes of the High Performance Plan.
Detailed below is a summary of each position within the High Performance structure.
Basketball WA Chief
Executive Officer
Oversee the strategic direction of the BWA High Performance Plan.
Chief Operating Officer Provide leadership and management of the High Performance Plan and
program.
High Performance Working
Group
An advisory group to enable consultation and provide guidance and
recomendations on the High Performance structure and outcomes.
High Performance Manager Provide athlete and coach High Performance development, national
talent identification, manage elite athletes and their daily training
environment and manage the High Performance Plan
Development Manager Manage the logistical requirements in support of the High
Performance Plan. Facilitates the TAP, Black and Gold and Hot Shots
programs.
Development Officer Assists the High Performance Manager and Development Manager in
the facilitation of the High Performance programs.
WA-ITP Regional Centre
Head Coach
Appointed to coordinate coaches in regional centres to facilitate the
delivery of WA-ITP training to athletes.
TAP Head Coach Facilitates the delivery of the TAP to athletes.
Country Academy Head
Coach
Coordinates and delivers BWA’s curriculum to regional Country
Academy’s.
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National Performance Program (NPP)
The National Performance Program (NPP) has been developed by Basketball Australia to increase the
ability to identify and develop international quality athletes that will lead to greater international
results over the period 2012-2016. The NPP is based on creating state based “Centres of Excellence”
in support of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Mens and Womens Basketball programs.
Athletes who have been nationally ranked by the Basketball Australia “Player Depth Chart” will have
access to the NPP and its scholarships. The Basketball Australia Player Depth Chart ranks the top 71
male and female athletes from current International athletes to “Developing International” and
“Potential International” athletes. The identification of athletes on the Depth Chart comes from athletes
competing at U14, U16 and U18 Australian Junior Championships, USA College scholarship holders
and international tournaments.
In support of the NPP, Basketball Australia provides the following:
National Manager: Player & Coach Development.
National Player and Coach Development Framework.
National Curriculum.
National Shooting Program.
National physical Development Program.
National Skill Development Priorities .
AIS – Basketball’s Centre of Excellence.
Access to AIS coaches & sports science: Technical leadership.
National Strength & Conditioning Manager.
Kinetic Athlete Monitoring System for National Teams.
Australian Development Camps.
National Championships – Competition pathway.
National Junior Teams – U17/U19 World Junior Championships.
Funding to states for elite player development outcomes.
Assistance in Developing Funding Submission.
National Representation with ASC and NESC.
Basketball Australia’s desired outcomes of the program:
Performance Director responsible for program delivery.
Elite, quality athletes identified, measured and coached.
Program linked to service and program resources such as SIS/SAS network.
Successful transition of athletes to AIS scholarships.
Qualified, proficient coaches delivering the program.
Cost effective delivery of the program.
Individual Performance Plan for all identified athletes.
Flexible program based around athlete needs.
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Monitored Athlete Workload and intervention strategies employed by Performance Director
to monitor case of overload.
Strength & Conditioning program a priority.
Specialist Shooting Program.
Basketball Australia requires the following to be provided by the State Association:
Performance Director responsible for program delivery.
Elite, quality athletes identified, measured and coached.
Program linked to service and program resources such as SIS/SAS network.
Successful transition of athletes to AIS scholarships.
Qualified, proficient coaches delivering the program.
Cost effective delivery of the program.
Individual development plan for all identified athletes.
Flexible program based around athlete needs.
Monitored athlete workload and intervention strategies employed by Performance Director in case of
overload.
Strength & conditioning program.
Specialist shooting program.
Basketball WA in support of the NPP is expected to provide:
Twelve month scholarship to the NPP for each athlete.
Management of the Athletes Daily Training Environment (High Performance Manager).
Acesss to strength and conditioning, physiotherapy, psychology, nutrition and education
services (WA Institute of Sport or university).
Access to performance measurement testing ( WA Institute of Sport or university).
Access to high performance coaching through partnerships formed with the Perth Wildcats
and West Coast Waves.
Delivery of national skills testing to rank athletes at a national and international level.
Provision of all training equipment, court usage and athlete clothing.
Basketball WA High Performance Regional Academies
BWA has a large geographic area within which to provide services to registered Associations such as
Broome (North) and as far as Esperance (South), covering a distance of 2,570 kilometres. Due to the
vast range of locations of regional high performance athletes, it is difficult for BWA to provide
personnel and financial resources to support these athletes.
In order to service high performance athletes in these country regions, BWA has developed the
following regional academies to provide a daily training environment for athletes identified in the High
Performance Programs.
The regional academies are:
Peel Academy
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South West Academy of Sport
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Basketball Association Academy
Great Southern Basketball Academy
Geraldton Amateur Basketball Association Academy
The BWA High Performance Manager oversees the outcomes of these academies, provides a
curriculum, information and other support services such as coach education. These academies
supplement the metropolitan located high performance sessions to provide the same services to
country based athletes.
BWA has identified that in future years a fifth academy should be established in the Port Headland
region to support the developing indigenous athletes in this region.
High Performance Review, Monitor and Reporting Processes
Basketball WA will utilise this High Performance Plan to monitor, review and evaluate the progression
of the High Performance Program to determine its impact, quality and effectiveness. This will be done
with ongoing and regular consultation with key stakeholders involved in the delivery of the desired
outcomes.
The review of various components of the program and the plan as a whole will be conducted in the
following ways:
Monthly internal review and tracking of athlete performances through the Athletes Individual
Performance Plans.
Regular monthly review and feedback from the athlete regional coaches to the BWA HP
Manager.
Monthly reporting to CEO and COO – monitoring objectives, KPI’s.
Internal monthly reporting e.g. High Performance Manger and Development Manager Reports.
Quarterly athlete debriefs with regional coaches.
Athlete review and debrief, post national and championship tournaments.
CEO reporting to the BWA Board.
Six monthly key stakeholder consultations – BWA, DSR, WAIS.
Annually as a full evaluation of the achievements against the set expectations and KPI’s.
Contact Information Chief Operating Officer- Craig Reynolds
P: 08 6272 0746
High Performance Manager- Brett Coxsedge
P: 08 6272 0754
