Our new Rising-Star Academy is a formal ‘Mini-Ball’ program that will replace our current U10 Learn to Play program.

This new initiative is designed to help young players in the Rising Stars age group (7-9) make the transition from skills training to real-game scenarios in a supportive, coach-led environment. This stage acts as a bridge between learning the basics and playing the game.

Each weekly session (to be run on Saturday mornings) includes two key components:

Skill Session (20 minutes):

Before each game, players will take part in a structured, age-appropriate training block. This allows coaches to focus on fundamental skills and team concepts such as passing, spacing, defending, and movement without the ball. Sessions are progressive, building on prior weeks and giving players time to absorb and apply new techniques.

Modified Games (20 minutes):

Following the skill session, players will participate in structured, coach-supervised games. These games use simplified rules designed to promote learning rather than competition. Coaches may pause the game at appropriate moments to correct positioning, reinforce decision-making, or highlight teachable moments.

Key Features:

   – All games are non-scoring and non-laddered: the focus is entirely on development

   – Coaches are active and involved on the court to support learning

   – Rules are adapted to support game understanding (e.g., ensuring all players handle the ball, encouraging team play)

   – New teams are created each week, giving players the opportunity to play with a wide range of teammates and styles

We are transitioning our existing U12 competition on a Saturday morning into a Coach-Led Academy for the All Star age group (10-12).

This is a short-term but essential step in building the foundation for long-term player success.

Each All-Star Academy session will consist of:

Skill Session (30 minutes):

Building on our ‘Hoops Hub’ sessions that were introduced in Term 2, all teams will begin with a structured training block led by a qualified coach. These sessions focus on reinforcing key individual and team skills: ball-handling under pressure, passing and moving, defense, offensive spacing, rebounding, and basic team strategy.

Coach-Supervised Games (30 minutes):

Following training, teams will play a full-court 5v5 game. However, unlike traditional competitions, these games will be led by a coach who can pause play at any time to:

   – Reinforce key concepts

   – Correct positioning or decision-making

   – Ensure all players are actively involved

   – Encourage team play and communication

Games will be non-competitive (no scoring or ladder) and officiated in a development-friendly way.

We will also be moving to a club-formed team model, to ensure that:

   – Every player is welcomed and placed into a team, regardless of background or social circle

   – Teams are balanced based on skill level and experience