Page 6 - BWA Annual Report 2023

THE CHAIR’S REPORT
Kaya Mort Basketball WA Community.
Welcome to the 2023 Basketball WA Annual Report. It was a great honour and privilege to be Chair of Basketball WA and Perth Lynx, a responsibility that I do not take lightly.
Basketball continues to be the fastest growing sport in Western Australia
for children below fifteen years of age. Basketball WA has grown to have over 65,000 registered participants and
this figure doesn’t include our schools, entry level or Aussie Hoops programs. Basketball is BOOMING!
Basketball WA was a finalist in the category of Organisation of the Year
in the Sports West 2023 WA Sport Awards which is recognition of the many successes achieved in 2023. Some of these successes included the Basketball WA Gala Dinner where over 700
people from our community celebrated outstanding achievements made by individuals and teams over the past year. At the dinner, we inducted Fiona Hannan (nee Robinson) and Paul Rogers into the Basketball WA Hall of Fame. Basketball WA has welcomed 2 affiliate clubs and 2 as community clubs to strengthen participation. The NBL1 West competition built on our success in 2022 with continued growth and we showed the nation that the “West is Best”
when we hosted the NBL1 National Finals at HBF Arena in Joondalup. The Perth Lynx showed plenty of flight and character in the 2022/ 2023 season, finishing with a 13 win and 8 losses, securing fourth spot in the standings and a place in the finals. Unfortunately, they lost to the eventual champions
the Townsville Fire. Basketball WA
saw continued unprecedented
growth in participation across State Championships, Country Championships and NAIDOC Carnivals.
Basketball WA has been actively working in partnership with our affiliated associations, local, state, and federal governments to address the greatest challenge in our sport, lack of facilities. Facilities remains a priority focus for Basketball WA as we work to ensure
the people on waiting lists across our state can actively participate in our great sport. Basketball WA has implemented a number of positive initiatives to improve the culture and inclusiveness.
Basketball WA recognises the gaps in equity and equality for the WA First Nations basketball community and we are striving to co-create meaningful ways for inclusion at grass roots and co- build the journey for high performance talent. As part of our commitment
to better support Aboriginal players, coaches, referees and administrators we have co-created an Aboriginal Council who will hold Basketball
WA accountable for delivering on measurable and meaningful outcomes.
Basketball WA would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Minister for Sport and Recreation, the Honourable David Templeman, MLA his office and supporting advisors. The Minister has provided passion and commitment
to supporting basketball and has a strong focus on participation, inclusion and supporting volunteers. In July 2023, Premier Roger Cook announced an $8 million commitment to support building 4 new indoor courts at Mike Barnett Stadium. We thank the Labor government for their support and recognition of the need to provide investment into our sport which is truly having positive impact on the lives of Western Australians. We would also like to thank the Parliamentary Friends of Basketball, Ms Hannah Beazley MLA, Mr Peter Rundle MLA, Ms Jessica Stojkovski MLA and Ms Emily Hamilton MLA for their advocacy of our sport.
Thank you to our long-term partners, stakeholders and sponsors who continue to support us in making basketball
an accessible and well-organised
game: The Western Australian State Government’s Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, WA Insurance Commission, Heathway, Rio Tinto and Northern Star, in particular, as they make a valuable contribution to basketball through various funding schemes and a range of advisory services.
The Board continues to work with Basketball Australia and the other State and Territory Associations to ensure
our game is governed appropriately.
As a team we worked together on the introduction of a Basketball Australia Game Development levy which will
be directed to key initiatives including enhancing the development and pathways for match officials, building behaviour management campaigns
to address abuse towards officials, enhancing coach development opportunities and supporting pathways and driving digital transformation across the sport. We are looking forward to active engagement with Basketball Australia as they set their new strategy for basketball in Australia.
Rob Clement decided to step down as the Chief Executive Officer in April 2023 after eight years of dedicated service
to Basketball WA. During his tenure, Rob made significant contributions to Basketball WA and played a crucial role in the growth and development of basketball across the state. Under his leadership, the sport had experienced
a surge in popularity and increased participation. Rob was responsible for the successful rebranding of the SBL to the NBL1 West league. He had also worked tirelessly to build strong relationships with stakeholders, sponsors, and community organisations, ensuring basketball continues to thrive in the state. Basketball WA would like to express its gratitude to Rob for his unwavering commitment, hard work, and dedication to the Association and the sport of basketball in the state.
The Board was delighted to welcome Nathan Cave as the Chief Executive Officer of Basketball WA in November 2023. Nathan is a dedicated executive, with national and international experience who brings to the role a distinct and honed skill set encompassing: leadership, executive level management, revenue acquisition, partnerships, marketing alignment, strategic business planning, nurturing organisational culture, and fostering innovation. Nathan carries a lifelong passion for basketball, and this combined with his astute understanding of the corporate landscape will empower him to navigate the intricate intersections of sports and business, to facilitate
1 | BWA ANNUAL REPORT 2023