2024/2025 Junior Playing Opportunities

Thank you all for your ongoing patience as we continue to navigate through a period of change and development for the association. The end of 2024 and 2025 is shaping up as a new and exciting time for the association with us making some key changes to our programs to work on the development and progression of all athletes. This is a long email but we will look to answer more questions more specifically over the next month. Below you will see information on:

• 2025 Representative Program
• 2024/25 Summer Junior Competition
• 2024 Term 4 Under 8s & 10s Program
• 2024 Superleague

2025 REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAM KEY DATES

Coach Applications Open: 22/07/2024

Coach Applications Close: 31/07/2024

Apply for a coaching position within the Falcons here: https://forms.gle/RZne8io1pzsxhZhf8

The 2025 Representative Program has been brought forward in our calendar. This will allow us to get teams/squads selected earlier to increase the opportunities for skill development. We are in the process of finalising the full breakdown for season 2025 and will communicate this with everyone through the 2025 Handbook once completed. However key dates for season 2025 and the trial process are below. Please note that participation in these trials will not form part of any academy program selections. The association is still in the process of reviewing the potential junior representative team structure for season 2025 and pending registrations and resources may look to increase the size of this program. Please see the attachment regarding requirements and resources.

1. Prep for Rep
   Open to all Domestic Players only and will be part of the selection process into season 2025. Players interested in participating in the 2025 Rep program who are not existing players will be selected from these sessions and invited into the trials (phase 2). Registration for this program will be $50. These sessions will focus on skills and development.

Register Here: https://membership.mygameday.app/regoform.cgi?formID=111421

1. 2025 Representative Trials

2024 Representative Players will automatically be allowed to register for the 2025 Representative trials. These players will receive a direct link to the trial. Players who then are invited from the Prep for Rep program will also be able to register for these trials. Newcastle Basketball pending selection opportunities may at their discretion put a third trial in. This will be in negotiation with the head coach of the program. The trialist will be advised ASAP. You will be required to attend both sessions. Trial Fees for these sessions will be $30.

2024 TERM 4 UNDER 8s & 10s PROGRAM

Newcastle Basketball will be making the transition that our Term 4 ONLY traditional Under 8s & 10s program will now be Under 7s & 9s. It will revert to Under 8s & 10s for Terms 1 – 3. All top age Under 10s players born in 2015, should they wish to continue participating, will transition straight into the Summer Junior Competition. This is only for Term 4 and aligns this competition with our Summer Junior Competition structure. This will also be done to help avoid the Term 1 dilemma of players missing out on competition Basketball. Registrations for this program will open at the end of Term 3. Under 10s players born in 2015 should watch their emails for information regarding the 2024/25 Summer Junior Competition.

2024/2025 SUMMER JUNIOR COMPETITION

Newcastle Basketball is in the process of transitioning its online registration and competition database to Basketball Connect. As we learn and understand the database better we will look to open registrations for the 2024/25 McDonalds Junior Summer Competition from mid-August 2024. The Junior Summer Competition operates differently from the Winter Club competition and players need to register within a team. We will look to have a “looking for a team” list for individuals who are unable to find a team with friends however we cannot guarantee that all players will be accommodated. Please note there are some very clear amendments to team structures for the upcoming season:

• All 2024 Junior Representative players MUST play in Division 1 or Division 2 competitions regardless of the age group they choose.
• There can be no more than THREE 2024 Junior Representative Players in any one team for season 2024/25.
• Players are eligible to play in only one team across the season.
• Players are permitted to play in the age group above but this still constitutes their one-team allocation for the 2024/25 season.
• Players must play in a team, or competition as per their assigned gender at birth
• Each team must have an adult present at every match. This person will need to be registered with the team and will need a WWCC.
• Each team must provide their uniforms which must be consistent across the team.
• Each team must have a minimum of 7 players to register for the competition.

Age Groups:

U11’s ( Children born in 2015 & 2014)
U13’s (Children born in 2013  & 2012)

U15’s (Children born in 2011 & 2010)

U17’s (Children born in 2009 & 2008)

2024 Term 4 SUPERLEAGUE

Our Term 4 Superleague program will take a different format this year as we look to incorporate 2025 Junior Representative Squad selections and 3X3 Basketball. The selection into the Superleague will be done within the 2025 Junior Representative Team Selections and will align with some early pre-season squad training. Our squads will be split into teams by the head coach and representative coordinator where they will then play 3 games of 3X3 Basketball within an hour timeslot after an hour of training and skill refinement.

This will occur on the following dates:

Further information about each program will be released across our social media and via applicable email accounts.

• Newcastle Basketball Facebook @ newcastlebasketball
• Newcastle Basketball Instagram @ newybasketball
• Newcastle Falcons Facebook @ newcastlefalcons
• Newcastle Falcons Instagram @ newyfalcons