Perth Lynx star Alex Ciabattoni and State coaches bring clinics to Geraldton for keen young players

Young female basketball enthusiasts in Geraldton were treated to clinics over the week with State coaches and Perth Lynx player Alex Ciabattoni paying a visit.

The clinics ran over Wednesday and Thursday, featuring some for elite female athletes, an all-girls clinic then also for boys and girls in the future development program.

State coach Keely O’Brien said bringing the clinics and a star player to the region was important for building connections with the young players.

“We’ve brought Lynx player Alex Ciabattoni up here to see the girls and work with them,” she said.

“Geraldton is one of our beloved country towns but it’s quite far away . . . they don’t have an NBL1 (women’s) team, so getting to bring her up here and have those touch points with the girls.”

Mid West regional development officer Dan Hunt said it was great having both the coaches and Ciabattoni come up and build connections, especially with the struggles some have with travelling constantly.

“It’s that Lynx connection, because we have extremely good women’s coaches in Geraldton, but it’s nice that player, that name to come up here because the girls really resonate with her,” he said.

“Our goal is to bring more to the regions, the Mid West and then even up to the Gascoyne eventually.

“We’re also doing that in other ways with our future development programs, which the kids normally used to have to go to Perth for that skills clinic.”

Many of the girls in the clinics aspire to make State teams and push further with basketball.

“Keely O’Brien, who’s one of the coaches up here now is big in the State program, to have to that relationship for our girls to go down and see ‘oh there’s Keeley’,” Hunt said.

“That makes a big difference as opposed to not knowing anyone at all.”

The clinics for elite players provide specialised sessions, with those girls then helping coach the all-girls clinics.

“It’s terrific to have both, one is performance and the other one’s participation,” Hunt said.

“We also have to have that balance where our better players also get that little bit of extra love and attention.

“Then they give it back, all those girls that were in the program came and coached afterwards to help out.”

While metro athletes are spoilt for opportunities, sessions like this do not come to the regions often, and O’Brien said the Geraldton girls came full of enthusiasm.

“The kids love it . . . the group of girls we had, they have been down in Perth doing State programs or State trials,” she said.

“Millie (Gerreyn), she’s just come back from nationals . . . she’s come back and she’s still wanting to learn more and get some more basketball in.

“I think it’s a great testament to Dan Hunt and the basketball culture he’s brought up here.”