Our deepest sympathies go out to Carolyn Kerger and family after the passing of Basketball Geelong life member, Clarrie Kerger, early yesterday morning the 20th Feb 2013. Clarrie was recently honoured with the Basketball Geelong Volunteer of the Year Award being named after him due to his many years of service to the sport of basketball in Geelong.The sad news of the passing of Clarrie Kerger after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Carolyn , Liz, Jenny and Michael and families.

The Funeral Service will be on Monday 25th Feb 2013 from 11am, at Tuckers Funeral and Bereavement Service, followed by the burial at the Highton cemetery. 

CLARRIE KERGER   DOB 03/09/1943

Try Boys Basketball Club

Clarrie started playing basketball for Cresco Fertlilzers in 1956 as a 13year old, in the B grade competition.

When Cresco disbanded in 1960, the players went over to St.John’s Ambulance and Clarrie Captained and Coached this team.

 When St John’s was disbanded, due to players not being members of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade, Clarrie then formed the Chilwell Dodgers Basketball teams ,being part of the Chilwell Athletic Club. These teams comprised of 2 mens teams, two womens teams and one junior team.

This continued up until G.A.B.A adopted the Club system in 1969 whereby all teams need to be affiliated with a Club with Junior and Senior teams. Dodgers became affiliated with Try Boys Basketball Club.

Clarrie was immediately elected to the Try Boys Basketball Club Committee and has held every Office Bearer position on that Committee.

Clarrie was President of Try Boys for 15 years from 1980 -1995.

He coached Div 1,2 and 3 Women teams. Div 2 and 3 Men’s team, U/18, 14, 12 and 10 Boys teams at different times over the years. Clarrie played for Try Boys for about 13 years mostly in Div 2 with a few Div 1 games and finished his career playing in Div 3. Clarrie also Refereed for Try Boys for 7 years.

Clarrie was the instigator of the Try Boys Annual Junior Basketball Tournament, which brought players from all over Victoria. The tournament ran for aprox 16 years and at its peak attracted 150 teams competing in all junior age groups U/18,16,14 and 12 girls and boys. During this time, it boasted future Olympians Michelle Timms, Michelle Chandler and Trish Fallon.

Clarrie stayed on the Try Boys Committee from 1969 with a couple of short breaks until 2011 when due to his ill health he stepped aside.

 

Try Boys BRIGADE

Clarrie joined the Try Boys Brigade Committee (The Brigade is the Governing Body of which the Basketball Club is a sub committee) in 1997 and is still an active member , currently holding the position of Secretary.

Clarrie has been awarded Life Membership to the Try Boys Brigade in 1984 and to the Try Boys Basketball Club in 1995.

  

Geelong Amateur Basketball Association

Clarrie acted as a Delegate for the teams that he Coached in the early days and because of the interest he showed at the Delegate’s meetings was invited in 1964 to join the Executive Committee of GABA.

Clarrie was elected Hall Officer and Assistant Secretary in 1966 and took over as Secretary in 1968. Clarrie remained in this position until 1975 when ill health forced him to relinquish this position. During this period he remained on the Executive Committee taking over the portfolio of Records.

Over this period there was an unprecedented growth in Basketball in the Geelong region and the Secretary’s job at that time was everything from Recording, Playing Permits, Clearances Tribunal, Social Events, in addition to the processing of all correspondence and administrative tasks of the Secretary.

Clarrie remained on the GABA Excutive Committee until 1984 when GABA had its home base at the small concrete floor Stadium behind St Mary’s school in Myers Street.  At this time it was deemed necessary to create a Junior Competition away from the home base of St Mary’s Stadium and Clarrie volunteered to instigate this and took over the running of the Junior Competition at Bell Park Youth Club.  Over a period of 2 years he opened and locked up two nights a week. He was doorman, referee and coach on those nights.

Clarrie was a member to the Committee that was put in place by GABA to organise the running of the Australian U16 Boys Championships held at the Corio Leisuretime Centre in 1978/79.

Clarrie was on the Excutive Committee at the time when the Geelong Great Shape Cats (later Supercats) were formed for the entry into the NBL in 1981.

Clarrie coached Geelong Representative teams at different stages iincluding U/12 boys,U/16 and U/18 Girls and Senior women’s teams in Zone and Conference Series.

Clarrie came off the Executive Committee in 1984 and in 1985 he joined the Basketball Victoria Regional Tribunal to sit on Tribunals including Geelong, Bellarine and Ocean Grove until he retired in 2007. Clarrie convened the tribunals as Secretary for many years as well as taking over as Tribunal Chairman after the passing of Geoff Smith.

Clarrie was awarded Life Membership to GABA in 1974.

 

Victoria Country Basketball Council

Clarrie volunteered his services to VCBC between 1970 and 2000 at many events including Country Junior Championships, Senior Championships, Junior Club Championships and Senior Club Championship and Country Priemerships. Clarrie worked as a courtmaster and also sat at any tribunals during these weekends. Clarrie was also Country Regional Secretary for this Area for four years. Clarrie was also a Delegate from GABA on many occasions to attend Country Council Meeting in the early days.

Came out of care in a wheelchair on fri 8^th feb to attending his eldest daughter Elizabeths(also a former GABA member) wedding, then returned to St John of God Geelong where he passed away on the 20^th.