Dean Kinsman, one of Australia’s best coaches of junior basketballers, will be in Mount Gambier next Tuesday and Wednesday December 20^th and 21^st to conduct a series of basketball skills sessions with the Junior Lakers representative squads and coaches. All Lakers players selected to represent S A Country at the 2017 Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup and the Southern Cross Challenge will be participating in both the Junior Lakers sessions and the State sessions.

Kinsman is currently Head Coach of the Victoria’s Rowville Secondary Basketball Program, which is conducted in their multi-million dollar Sports Precinct. He was the first SA Country Basketball Development Officer, is a former Head Coach of the Women’s Program at the Institute of Sport and the National Junior women’s team, the Gems. Dean ranks as one of the best in the field of coaching juniors, especially in the area of mastery of the fundamental skills of the game and putting them to good effect in game situations. He builds his teachings on the edict that the better the skills of juniors the more they enjoy the game and hence become better players.      

The 90 minute sessions begin at 9 am on Tuesday with the Under 12 squads in action followed by the Under 14’s at 11am. After the lunch break, the Under 18’s and 16’s hit the pine. The day ends with a 2 hour session with the State representatives.

Wednesday’s program follows the similar format except there will be two sessions for the State squad.

Local coaches have been invited to attend and assist in the practical sessions.

These sessions will be the start of the home training program for the state representatives in preparation for their Cup and Challenge competitions.