Sixteen para-athletes from across the country have wrapped up a seven-day training camp in the nation’s capital today. Featuring both experienced and emerging Rollers, the camp provided the group an opportunity to impress Australia’s national team staff.
Taking place at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), the week-long training camp also featured a five-game series of scrimmages, with the Aussies playing host to Japan.
Assistant Coach Brett Stibners explained that this week was an opportunity for continued talent identification across the board nationally.
“This week is an opportunity to come together to train and learn the style of play we want to progress with going forward. It also gives the younger athletes a chance to train alongside the ones with a bit more experience to get a taste of what it’s like and the standard we strive for.
“We only had one or two training sessions before they played their first game against Japan at the beginning of the week, and they grasped the concepts that we’ve put in place really quickly, we are quite pleased.
“For me personally as the Under-23 Head Coach, this week also gives me perspective to see where the younger athletes are at before the World Cup next year.
“It’s important for these guys to take note of what we’ve been working on and to go home and continue to make progress so they can give themselves the best opportunity to make an Australian team going forward.”
After taking up wheelchair basketball just two years ago, 24-year-old Matt Caruana reflects on his time at the AIS.
“What I have enjoyed most about being here is that we are being taught by some of the best, and they’re sharing their wealth of knowledge about the game and how we can take ours to another level. And the constant encouragement, not only from the coaching staff, but from my teammates as well - we can see that each one of us has more in us and we push each other to be better.
“I hope to take my game to another level so that not only with national league I can play greater than I did last year, but hopefully one day I can play for the Rollers at the Paralympics or the Commonwealth Games. Just to put on the Australian jersey at this camp is really something special.”
