Academy Southland athlete Maddie Tinnock is keen to pursue basketball opportunities both on and off the court. 

The James Hargest College Year 12 pupil recently returned from a Basketball New Zealand training camp in Auckland. 

Selection in the invites-only camp for the country’s best under 16 and under 17 players was something of a surprise for Maddie, who was one of only two under 17 girls from the South Island to be included. 

“Aliyah Dunn was the last girl from Southland to be selected for one of these trial camps, so it was quite exciting for me from that aspect.” 

Basketball New Zealand High Performance General Manager Leonard King said the camps were a great chance for athletes and coaches to get on the page. 

“Basketball New Zealand National selection camps are in invaluable tool for the preparation of our Junior National teams. Our National camps are very competitive and are delivered at a very high level with the best coaches in New Zealand overseeing the teams. 

“It’s important for us to take advantage of every single opportunity to further entrench our athletes in the National Style of Play.  Implementing and becoming consistent with our Style of Play is critical to the success of our National teams.” 

Athletes selected from the camps will be a part of a fresh FIBA cycle for pinnacle events – Oceania Championships (year one), Asia Championships (year two) and World Cup (year three). 

The four-day camp was a demanding one, two on-court and two off court sessions per day providing plenty for the selectors to chew over before they get another look at the players at the national championships in July. 

Maddie is hoping to make another good impression at nationals in the maroon singlet after being picked up by Auckland last year when Southland didn’t field a team. Five of the Auckland players from that side were also part of the BNZ camp earlier this month. 

Off the court, Maddie also helps coach two junior teams. Encouraged by her school coaches Lucy Kean and Bert Tobia, she wants to keep a coaching pathway open in case a playing one doesn’t pan out. 

Playing opportunities, however, are still very much front of mind. A significant part of the BNZ camp focused on what was required to earn a scholarship to play college basketball in the United States. 

Maddie is required to regularly film game footage which can be loaded into an app viewed by college coaches in the States. 

Pre-Covid, coaches would travel from the United States and attend the national championships, but border restrictions have placed an even greater importance on having a good highlights reel and being able to market your abilities. 

College scholarships are available at division one, and, to a lesser extent, division two colleges in the United States. 

Along with playing and coaching basketball, Maddie also plays netball, which can mean juggling practices and games to fit both codes in. 

In the summer she has represented Southland at touch, playing for the Southland women’s team and the Southland under 18 mixed team which won silver at national championships. 

Despite an injury two years ago, playing touch in the offseason has been beneficial for Maddie. 

“When I picked up touch again and came back to basketball, my coaches could tell I was so much fitter and there was such a difference.” 

Article added: Friday 28 May 2021