Anticipation rose as we were quickly ushered through winding corridors, sneaking glimpses of the locker room, and up a faintly illuminated flight of stairs. The echo of squeaking shoes, buzzers, and instruction preceded us. When we got to our perch above the court, it was 20-year NBL veteran Chris Goulding, widely regarded as the greatest Australian shooter of all time, that caught our eye. The speed, ferocity, and force on display as the ball darted around the court, and players jumped to our eye-level above the rim, was mesmerising. Jaws literally hit the floor as spectacular dunks rose above, and swish after swish dropped in. Excellent discussions were sparked as Head Coach Dean Vickerman and his team put on a coaching masterclass in front of our eyes. The composure of guards Tyson Walker, Milton Doyle, Tom Wilson and Malith Machar impressed. The management of players following the session, with each breaking off to work on specific areas for improvement, showed that no player on any level is above focusing on the basics in the everyday grind.

Directly below us, 5-time NBL Champion and current Assistant Coach, David Barlow, drew up plays on his whiteboard – it felt as if we were a part of the action and about to execute ourselves.

Dash Daniels, younger brother of Atlanta Hawks star Dyson ‘The Great Barrier Thief’ Daniels, is a projected top ten pick in next year’s NBA draft. The 17-year-old is signed to Melbourne United as part of the NBL’s Next Stars Program that includes notable alumni LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, and Alex Sarr.

New import Jesse Edwards, a 213cm Dutch centre, boarded a plane across the world the day after his wedding. Despite significant jetlag, he did not miss a single step in his first NBL training session, exemplifying the reality of professional sports. His first fan picture in Australia was with none other than David Ferrante, a 177cm tall Head of Health and Physical Education from Loyola College.

Chris Goulding, the 444-game, 3-time champion and Australian Boomer, knocked in shot after shot during his post-training reps.

After viewing the NBL training session, Loyola students hit the court for an hour of training with 350-game NBL champion Nathan Crosswell. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from a basketballer of his calibre and make the most of the elite facilities on offer. Student Grace Seymour (9MJLI) summarises it best:

The Year 9 Basketball Academy class were very fortunate this week to witness basketball at its highest level in Australia, through a Melbourne United training session. This rare opportunity gave students the chance to feel inspired when watching players work hard at building their skill level and confidence at an elite level. The strong dedication, teamwork, ambition and passion was evident throughout the entire session from all players.

It was a huge highlight for students to also experience a training session on the court and build on our own individual and teamwork skills. As students, this experience gave us great insight into what it takes to build capacity at this high level. It was an extremely positive experience and I’m sure will inspire many of us to continue our strong passion for the game and will help to shape our academic pursuits in the sporting industry.

A big thank you to Mr Ciavarella for organising the day and inspiring us to further develop our deep love for basketball.