Maroochydore Clippers Under 14 Boys have qualified to play in the National Club Championships

After a fantastic State Championships, the Maroochydore Clippers Under 14 Boys have qualified for the Australian Club Championships to be staged in Perth in October. The Australian Under 14 Club Championships, first held in 1970, brings together the top 24 teams in the nation as determined by standings at their respective state titles to fight it out for the title of National Champion . New South Wales and Victoria, being the strongest basketball states, provide 5 teams each whilst South Australia , Western Australia and Queensland provides 3, one of which in 2012, is the Maroochydore Clippers! This is only the second time in the club’s history that our boys have qualified for this prestigious tournament.

To get there, the Clippers had to finish in the medals at the QLD State Championships held in Logan over Easter where over 30 teams attended. The Clippers found themselves in the Grand Final against Brisbane after an undefeated 6 game run through their pool games which included the prize scalp of SE Queensland Champions, Gold Coast who had beaten them soundly just two weeks before. Whilst Brisbane proved too strong in the final, the Maroochydore boys came away with the silver medal and a ticket to the National Championships.

This was a just reward for three years of hard work and preparation for the team. Coach Bill Hooper spent the last few off-seasons on the sidelines of AFL and rugby matches looking for boys who had the skill and athleticism to make it as basketballers. Having encouraged them to make their summer sport of choice basketball, he went to work on their skills and they soon emerged as serious contenders. “This group has come along way in a short time. In their U12 season, they claimed the bronze at the State Championships, then most of the boys backed up to represent the Sunshine Coast and, for the first time ever, win the State Primary Schools Championships 2011. Going to the Nationals just takes them to the next level in basketball. Not too many kids get this honour,” he said. The team is led by Captain Tom Fullarton who represented Queensland Primary Schools in 2011.

The Clippers having defeated powerful Queensland clubs like Townsville and Southern Districts, now have their sights set on some of Australia’s great basketball clubs like Dandenong, Bulleen and the Melbourne Tigers where Olympian Andrew Gaze was a junior.

The team is now looking for sponsorship and the support of local businesses to help them raise funds for the Championships.