Happy New Year Sandy Saints!

Since 1979 the Sandy Saints Basketball Club (SSBC) has been bringing the local community together by offering a fun and respectful environment for our children and families to play the game we love. SSBC enters teams from U8 through to Open Men and Women in the Southern Basketball Association (SBA). We are a one stop shop for the whole family to play! This year we will go close to 60 teams entered in the SBA. The club continues to grow sustainably and intentionally, led by your generous volunteer committee. We are in a solid financial position, with our last fee increase in 2021. 

The 2024 Sandy Saints Committee are:

Paul McMahon: President

Damien Durston: Vice President and Treasurer

Aleks Ballarin: Secretary and Communications

Pauline Pawsey: Registrar, Compliance and Admin

Jenny Mouat: Accountant

Kylie Shugg: Training Coordinator

Sheri Haby: Uniforms and Merchandise

Katherine Horejsi: Uniforms and Merchandise (Welcome to committee) 

David Ballarin: IT, Play HQ and Tech Support

Coaching: Brittany Smart and Chris Mwaba

General Committee: Vacant

We are always looking for volunteers to work on the committee. At present we need a secretary as Aleks Ballarin tackles two roles, and we can always use general committee volunteers who work on special projects and are needed at busy times like Family Day, uniform distribution and the SBA finals, working  the bbq. Please reach out to any committee member if you can help.

Your questions around registration, uniforms and training should begin with your Team Manager, (TM)  who is in communication with the club. Thank you to all our TM’s and Coaches for your generosity of time and dedication to the SSBC teams. Coaches who register and are compliant will receive a club polo if they wish. Please support your TM’s and Coaches by being respectful on the sidelines and being a great role model for the little eyes and ears that are watching. The club takes very seriously anyone who disrespects referees, officials, spectators and players. Please remind yourself it’s kids’ domestic basketball, not Rep or the Olympics. We play for fun and that’s winning! Have a great 2024 all. Please follow us on Instagram. 

Please reach out to myself or a committee member if you require financial help in any way. We welcome the conversation. It takes a basketball club to raise a child. 

This year the SBA celebrates its 50th year. There will be a variety of events to mark the occasion. The new courts have an opening event on Saturday February 3 at 12pm. All are welcome to see courts 5-8. There is also an SBA Family Day that all Domestic Clubs are supporting. It is being held on Sunday April 14 with details to come. Club volunteers are needed to run our stall(s). The Sandy Saints Family Day will be later in the year.

A great resource is our club website. Check out the FAQs at: https://www.sandysaints.com.au/player-info/faq 

Coaches and Team Manager should be across SBA bylaws and they can be found here: https://www.southernbasketball.com.au/about-sba/by-laws/ 

Have a great year basketball fans. 

Paul McMahon (President), on behalf of the SSBC

Happy Easter to all our Sandy Saints families and supporters,

We hope these next weeks of family time, and being away from basketball, are a relaxing and renewing time. We thank you for representing the club colours proudly this year and for setting the right example for our children and teens. We always appreciate the work our Team Managers and Coaches do, and without them our club could not function. 

More than 420 players are wearing the Sandy Saints colours this season across 56 teams, the most we have ever fielded. The Southern Basketball Association (SBA) has grown enormously in the past year across its 11 clubs and this growth has caused a shortage of courts, especially on Saturdays and Thursdays. We apologise that some teams are experiencing a challenging season with more byes than usual because of the court shortage. The SBA will communicate shortly about the new court build. 

The club is always looking for volunteers to work on the committee. At present we need a volunteer to help run a hoodie drive as the colder months approach. Please contact Sheri Haby on 0407 806 374 if you can help. We can always use general committee volunteers who work on special projects and are needed at busy times like Family Day, uniform distribution and the SBA finals, working  the bbq. Please reach out to the club at info@sandysaints.com.au if you can help.

Please continue to be vigilant around our player and adult behaviour. The SBA and our club has struggled with poor behaviour this year on many fronts. Remember that we are the adults and are expected to lead the way on and off the court. At this time of Easter, I want to personally thank our hard working committee who keep the club humming along. Blessings to you all and stay well. 

Paul McMahon (President), on behalf of the SSBC

President's Welcome to Autumn Season 2023

Happy New Year Sandy Saints,

Since 1979 the Sandy Saints Basketball Club (SSBC) has been bringing the local community together by offering a fun and respectful environment for our children and families to play the game we love. SSBC enters teams from U8 through to Open Men and Women in the Southern Basketball Association (SBA). We are a one stop shop for the whole family to play! This year we will go close to 60 teams entered in the SBA. The club continues to grow sustainably and intentionally, led by your generous volunteer committee. We are in a solid financial position, with our last fee increase in 2021. 

The 2023 Sandy Saints Committee are:

Paul McMahon: President

Damien Durston: Vice President and Treasurer

Sarah Davoren: Secretary

Pauline Pawsey: Registrar, Compliance and Admin

Jenny Mouat: Accountant

Kylie Shugg: Training Coordinator

Aleks Ballarin: Communications

Sheri Haby: Uniforms and Merchandise

David Ballarin: IT, Play HQ and Tech Support

Viola Madziola: General Committee Member

Alberto Bertacchi: General Committee Member (new)

Ian Leckie: Director of Coaching

We are always looking for volunteers to work on the committee. At present we need uniform and merchandise help and we can always use general committee volunteers who work on special projects and are needed at busy times like Family Day, uniform distribution and the SBA finals, working  the bbq. 

Your questions around registration, uniforms and training should begin with your Team Manager, (TM)  who is in communication with the club. Thank you to all our TM’s and Coaches for your generosity of time and dedication to the SSBC teams. Coaches who register and are compliant this year will receive a club polo. Please support your TM’s and Coaches by being respectful on the sidelines and being a great role model for the little eyes and ears that are watching. The club takes very seriously anyone who disrespects referees, officials, spectators and players. Please remind yourself it’s kids’ basketball, not Rep or the Olympics. We play for fun and that’s winning! Have a great 2023 all. Follow us on Instagram. 

Please reach out to myself or a committee member if you require financial help in any way. It takes a basketball club to raise a child. 

Paul McMahon (President), on behalf of the SSBC

With thanks

Paul McMahon on behalf of the SSBC

Dear Members,

Community sport is a wonderful avenue for our kids and families to make friends, stay fit and have fun. As parents we often ride the bumps that our kids experience, and we become invested in their games as we should be. Our job as adults is to support our children in a safe and nurturing environment. There has been much publicity this year about respecting umpires and officials and being better role models for our children. The civility in general in our public discourse has eroded in past years, including from within the Sandy Saints Basketball Club.

This year  as President of Sandy Saints, I have received three official reports and complaints about adults behaving inappropriately within our club. It’s something that saddens me, when I know that most adults are doing the right thing and are setting a great example for little ears and eyes watching our behaviour. The complaints this year have been about adults treating other adults disrespectfully. We have a small number of adults disrespecting adults from other clubs and some adults within our club treating their fellow Saints parents poorly.  This must stop. The SBA and Sandy Saints have a zero tolerance for aggressive, disrespectful and obnoxious behaviour. There are conditions of entry when walking into a SBA stadium and our behaviour should reflect those expectations. 

If a report against an individual is made by the SBA or a referee, expulsion from the stadium on a short or long term basis may be a consequence. The SBA can support club sanctions including written and verbal warnings from the club to individuals or the extreme sanction of being asked to leave the club. I ask and urge all members to call out poor behaviour of adults within our own teams. Please alert a committee person or myself if you see such disrespectful actions or words. Together we can make our club a safer environment for competition and fun. 

Our club coaches and team managers are volunteers. Our committee are volunteers. Everyone is giving their time and talent for our kids. Please respect the privilege of playing community sport and that as adults we are role models for our children. 

With thanks

Paul McMahon, on behalf of the SSBC

President's Welcome to Autumn Season 2022

On behalf of the Sandy Saints Basketball Club (SSBC) Committee, we sincerely hope that our member families and the extended Sandy Saints community are well and excited to return for a new year in basketball. Returning to normal routines of school, sports and family life will be a great comfort for our kids (and parents) as we work towards good physical and mental health. Please reach out to our club or myself if we can help you in any way, on and off the court. Since 1979 the SSBC has grown to over 50 teams who compete in the Southern Basketball Association (SBA). We welcome our new teams to the club, especially the new U8 and U9 teams, and all who are beginning their basketball journey. 

The new season begins on Saturday January 29 and fingers crossed we experience as little interruptions as possible. Please be patient and kind to our SBA staff, refs, all coaches and players from all teams as we endeavour to get our kids on the court in the best and safest way possible. Thank you to all teams and especially Team Managers who have taken that extra player, and gone that extra mile, so no-one is left without a team where possible. Everyone should have registered now, ordered a uniform if required, and pumped those basketballs up! Team Managers and Coaches should be attentive to their compliance needs and should check their Everproof account to see what may need updating. Please communicate with Pauline, our club Registrar, who manages our compliance records at registration@sandysaints.com.au About a year ago the club sat at under 10% for compliance by its coaches and Team Managers. We now lead the SBA with approx 90%+ compliance and it’s a tribute to all our invested adults who volunteer with our teams. 

Community Sport in general is struggling to attract volunteers, SSBC included. Our club needs a new Uniform Co-ordinator asap as Mel Neilson steps down after many years on committee at the end of this month. Thanks Mel for your dedication and efforts! Sheri Haby has been holding down the Secretary role, as well as uniforms, and also needs replacing as the club Secretary so she can support the new Uniform Coordinator and continue effectively in helping the club. Please contact any committee member to discuss volunteering with the club. Role descriptions are available. Contact details for the committee can be found on our club website at https://www.sandysaints.com.au/contacts

FYI, In the past we have increased playing fees to cover some paid roles on the committee because we could not find volunteers. Please consider helping your kids and offering your time, talents and gifts for the betterment of our community. If not me, then who?

Your Team Manager should be your contact person for game information, fixtures and scoring duties. The SBA website offers info on obtaining your stadium entry card for the new season. Check out https://www.southernbasketball.com.au/ for all your basketball information. The club hopes to also offer training clinics for coaches and players throughout the year. Follow our Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sandysaints_basketball/ for all the latest club news and updates. 

Remember to play hard and play fair and represent the mighty blue and white with pride! I look forward to seeing you all on the courts very soon. Best wishes and luck for 2022 and may it be full of fun and friendships on and off the court.

With thanks

Paul McMahon on behalf of the SSBC

Return to Sport Update 25 Oct 2021.

Welcome back to Spring Season 2021 after a long lay off to basketball! We are so looking forward to seeing you back in the mighty blue singlets again. You should have received an email from the SBA confirming that the Spring season will recommence in November. Some key points to note at present:

• Team Managers should let the club know immediately if your team will not return for the proposed 6-7 week season beginning Saturday November 6. All Junior teams including U20, U21 and U23 teams will play the shortened season. Contact our Registrar at registration@sandysaints.com.au if your team is not returning. Teams with less than six players will need discussion with the club.
   

• If your team is good to go, then all you need to do is keep checking the SBA fixtures online at https://www.playhq.com/basketball-victoria/org/southern-basketball-association/e1cbc3e3

• There are no finals for this Spring season. The goal is to get everyone back on court for as many games as possible. We understand that grading may be compromised, so please be patient and understanding for the remainder of the year if your competition is unbalanced. Playing basketball is the important thing!

• Training - We are yet to receive approval from our venues to return.  We are currently working with the schools, who are bound by the Department of Education with regards to external visitors and at time of writing no approval or date has been provided.  Hopefully the Department of Education will provide an update prior to the season re-commencing at which time we will communicate with team managers and continue with the current training schedule.  Please contact Kylie at training@sandysaints.com.au if you have any questions. COVID protocols apply with regards to masks indoors, until you start training.

• Open Mens and Womens will also start on Monday November 8 and your season will continue into next year and conclude in June 2022. Because you have no age limit you will play a longer season. Your club registration fees will roll into 2022. 

• A considerable portion of the club’s $260 fee paid at the beginning of the Spring season will be credited to all members before Christmas. Players that recommence in November will receive less credit into 2022 than players that do not return. Note, Basketball Victoria will not be refunding their $25 fee from the Spring season. Hopefully most members will roll the Spring season credit into the Autumn 2022 season beginning in January. This will help our committee greatly if we don’t have to process fee refunds (done so manually). 

• The new Autumn 2022 season will begin registration in November. All SBA clubs will have the same registration period. The SBA will communicate this timeframe shortly. Team Managers will need to form teams for 2022 and contact our Registrar before the registration link is emailed out for next year’s competition. Open Mens and Womens teams will not need to register for next year as the current season’s fees will roll over, as will the season that concludes in June 2022. 

• Any A grade Junior teams with Sabres players will need to work out Rep points after Sabres ends grading, before the December 3 start of the VJBL.

• Stadium entry cards purchased for Spring 2021 will be valid until June 22. A $4 entry fee still applies to all people over 18 years if you don’t have a Stadium entry card.

• From the November 6 start, all players, spectators, Team Managers, Coaches and persons 16 years and older must be double vaccinated. The SBA will have a COVID Bio Safety Officer at each entrance to check vaccine certificates; the Services Victoria App is linked to the SBA QR code.

• All persons younger than 12 years will be subject to government regulations at a date to be determined.

• Spectator limits are unknown at this time.

• The SBA partners with external facilities at local schools. If a school was to be shut because of COVID, Tulip St cannot handle all competitions so fixtures and competitions may be compromised.

• Uniform questions can be directed to uniforms@sandysaints.com.au

Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you all back!!

President’s Welcome 2021 Autumn Season

Welcome to the new Autumn season of 2021! My name is Paul McMahon and I became the new President of the Sandy Saints Basketball Club (SSBC) in pre COVID 2020. As I approach my first twelve months in the role, I want to publicly thank your committee for holding the club in such good stead, despite the challenges and obstacles thrown our way. The SSBC prides itself on being a community centred organisation, whose volunteer committee work for the best outcomes possible for their children and their love of basketball. Since 1979, the SSBC has provided basketball for local families. I could not imagine that the club has ever experienced such challenging circumstances in the forty two year history of the club as it has in the past twelve months. 

It feels great to get our kids back playing basketball again. I’m looking forward to seeing the SSBC players, families and fans back in the stadiums. We have more than forty teams registered for the new Autumn season. I enjoy watching my own three teenagers play, both in domestic competition, and additionally my daughter in the orange colours of Sabres. I continue to ask for your patience as the Southern Basketball Association (SBA) and the SSBC work through COVID restrictions, especially around training venues indoors at local schools. The immediate future will only see outdoor training at Sacred Heart Primary School. Team Managers and Coaches should contact our training coordinator Kylie Shugg at kylie@sandysaints.com.au for inquiries about times and dates at Sacred Heart once school starts..

Please check out our club info at 

www.sandysaints.com.au

Parents should contact their child’s Team Manager for up to date club information.

As we enter into 2021, there are a few committee roles vacant that need volunteers to fill them asap. There have also been some changes to the committee during COVID. Updates include:

• The SSBC Secretary role is vacant and needs to be filled. We publicly thank Carolyn Tuohey for her many years of service to the club. Carolyn has worn many hats on committee and worked tirelessly to improve our club structures and processes. Sheri Haby (Uniforms and Merchandise) is currently acting in the secretary role until it is filled. Thank you Sheri.

• We welcome Damien Durston to the role of Vice President of SSBC and also thank another long serving committee member, Matt Astill who is stepping down from the committee. Matt has also served the club faithfully for years and has been a wonderful servant to SS families and support for me in my first year on the job. 

• The new committee role of Team Manager Coordinator is vacant. This role has been created to accommodate the growing communication and compliance needs that surround our Team Managers and Coaches in the club. This liaison role will hopefully streamline communication between the 40 plus Team Managers, 40 plus coaches and the day to day working of the SSBC.

• Helen Monaghan is stepping down as our Junior Registrar and we thank Helen for her expertise and diligence in the role. Helen is looking for a replacement asap. 

• Viola Madziala joined the club as Youth Boys registrar in 2020. Welcome Viola.

• Kylie Shugg changed roles and moved into the Youth Girls registrar role and training coordinator.

• The club advertised for a new Treasurer role in late 2020 as Tim Hilton stepped down from the committee. We thank Tim for his financial leadership over many years and for being instrumental in keeping SSBC in a solid financial position. The club did not receive any volunteers to replace Tim so we had to outsource our accounting needs at a cost to the club. We welcome and thank Jenny Moutt for stepping into the role of club accountant. Jenny reports to the Vice President’s role and is a non committee member. 

 Other committee roles can be found under the contacts drop down on our website. For more information and role descriptions on the vacant committee positions, please reach out to me on 04 4819 8800 or at president@sandysaints.comn.au Without volunteers, our club ceases to exist. Please consider how you can help. The club always welcomes general committee members who have no set role and who want to help out on their own time frame. We don’t have any of these at present because of the vacancies that exist.

Go Saints!

Paul McMahon

President 

Sandy Saints Basketball Club.

President's AGM update September 2021

Dear Members,

President’s Report Annual General Meeting (AGM) September 16, 2021

Sandy Saints Basketball Club (SSBC) prides itself on being a community centred organisation, whose volunteer committee work for the best outcomes possible for their children, and their love of basketball. Since 1979, the SSBC has provided basketball for local families. We continue in the midst of COVID-19 to do our very best in supporting your love of the game and facilitating your children having fun on the court.

Being the President of SSBC I have the privilege of working with incredible volunteers who use their skills and talents for the betterment of our basketball club. Our club cannot operate without these volunteers and continues to seek engagement from you, our members, to volunteer and help run the club. Our club continues to tweak our committee roles to best serve the needs of our members and the past year can be summarised as such:

After our AGM in 2020, the club appointed a paid accountant to fill the financial reporting needs of the club. We did not receive any volunteers in 2020 or 2021 for the accountancy role, so Jenny Mouatt will continue in her role for the SSBC. Jenny reports to our Vice President, Damien Durston and is not a voting member of the committee. Jenny’s expertise has helped us through the turbulent times of COVID, especially with budgeting, refunds and financial reporting to the committee. Thank you Jenny for your first year in the role. 

Late last year and early this year, the vital role of club registrar became vacant after Helen Monaghan and Viola Madziala left their roles due to changed work commitments. The club advertised for the volunteer Registrar roles for a couple of months, but with the new season beginning in Jan 2021, the club couldn’t operate without the Registrar in place. To this end, the club had to outsource the Registrar role with a local company run by Pauline Pawsey. Pauline also works for Beaumaris FC, helping them with their compliance and reporting needs. Pauline’s role is another paid role and our club fees rose in June 2021 to reflect the added costs to the club, now that we have paid employees. Thank you Helen and Viola for your work as club registrars. Furthermore, Viola has remained as a general member of our committee.

Basketball Victoria has increased the compliance needs of its member associations greatly over the past few years. As you would be aware, to be a Coach or Team Manager in the Southern Basketball Association (SBA) now requires at least five compliance requirements which is time consuming for the volunteer Coach, Team Manager and SSBC to manage. The club advertised for a volunteer Team Manager Coordinator for most of last year, but to no avail. We decided therefore, to employ Pauline Pawsey to help with our compliance needs, as well as the Registration needs of the club. To say Pauline has been a life saver for the club is an understatement. 

Damien Durston stepped up to become our new club Vice President after long serving member Matt Astill left the role at the end of 2021. Damien supports me in my role enormously, is overseeing the strategic direction of the club and also manages the financial side of things, working with our club accountant Jenny Mouatt. 

We have not received any volunteers for the Secretary role and Sheri Haby continues to be acting secretary for the club. Thank you Sheri!

David Ballarin continues to volunteer as our consultant to all things in IT. He launched our new club website found at www.sandysaints.com.au during 2021 and along with his wife, Aleks the dynamic duo operate our club communications. David facilitates our PlayHQ platform that enables our club to register members and work alongside the SBA in all technical matters. 

Sheri Haby and Mel Neilson continue to manage our uniforms and merchandise in their volunteer roles.

Kylie Shugg continues to facilitate and manage our training facilities, while working with our Director of Coaching Ian Leckie, to run clinics for our teams and coaches. 

Jeff Sharp has stepped down from a general committee role with work commitments making it difficult to volunteer.    

In summary the club needs a new Secretary. Role descriptions can be obtained from the club’s acting Secretary at secretary@sandysaints.com.au Our paid accountant is not a permanent role either so any volunteer with financial skills is very welcome to join the committee. Role descriptions will be forwarded to members again shortly. 

The club will always welcome general committee members who do not have a designated portfolio. Viola Madziala currently volunteers in this capacity and is called upon for special projects and help. Please contact us if you would like to get a feel for the club as a general committee member and not commit straight away into a designated volunteer role.

As you can see from the above, the club has been very busy behind the scenes in establishing and providing the structure required to run a community based sporting club in these challenging and changing times. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all past and existing committee members from 2020/21 and let our community know that it’s been tough to run a community sporting club in a pandemic! We are in good hands though. 

In my role as SSBC President, a major function of the responsibility is to report to the club the communications and undertakings of the SBA. The SBA continues to juggle it’s responsibilities and remain viable as a business during COVID. This is not an easy task with paid employees and financial overheads to meet. The Domestic Club Presidents meet regularly to discuss SBA financials and to keep abreast of the new court build at Tulip St. The court build process is out to tender at present with a builder to be selected in the next 4-6 weeks. Hopefully construction will begin before Christmas on the four new courts. SSBC also communicates frequently with the SBA on matters of compliance. Pauline, from our committee, has worked diligently on this during 2021 and thanks for all your support, especially the Team Managers and Coaches who bear the brunt of the Basketball Victoria requirements that the SBA have to mandate. With Pauline’s assistance our club has gone from 6% compliance with our Team Managers and Coaches at the start of 2021 to nearly 90% at the time of writing. Sandy Saints now leads the way in the SBA for compliance! Thank you all for your support in this non negotiable requirement. Compliance requirements have increased significantly in the past 3 years and the club now pays Pauline to risk manage this element of our club.

As outlined above, it’s been a year full of change, uncertainty and unknowns. Full credit to the SSBC for its diligence in providing service for our members during the COVID period. Our club remains the 5th largest in the SBA with 46 teams, with our numbers only dropping slightly since COVID began, by a couple of teams.

I look forward to seeing you all on the courts as soon as we can and thank you for trusting us with your kids’ basketball development and fun. I encourage you to get involved in the club, whether it is as a committee member, coach, team manager, scorer or passionate fan. Stay well Sandy Saints families.

Go Saints!

Paul McMahon

Spring Season Welcome July 2021

Dear Members,

I’ve just watched our Open Mens’ C Grade team (The Steelers) valiantly compete in their grand final and go down in a hard fought contest. It’s their 7th Runners Up trophy, and they have never won a Premiership. I share this, not to embarrass anyone, but to highlight we have a spirited team of seasoned veterans and young bucks who love playing the game together. The Steelers have enormous pride in wearing the Saints’ singlet every week and they have done so for many, many years. Watching them play reminds me of why I love community sport and belonging to a great club. I was proud of every player, regardless of the score. The boys never gave up and were right in the game to the very end. 

Congratulations to all teams on completing the Autumn season and getting back into basketball. Although we had a couple of interruptions to the season, our kids were able to play finals and get back on the court with their friends for the most part. Approximately half our 44 Sandy Saints teams made it to the finals, and more than half of those played off for the Premiership. Congratulations to the following teams who were Premiers in Autumn 2021:

U10 Girls Shooting Stars

U12 Boys Black

U12 Girls Puppies

U14 Boys Lions

U14 Boys Red

Spring Season entry cards

The SBA is pleased to announce that our Stadium Entry Cards will now be an e-card, not a physical card stored on your phone via Team App.  Utilizing TeamApp, you will be able to sign up and pay for the e-card on your phone and your stadium membership will be available and valid within minutes. The card can be found in your Team App digital wallet, accessed via the settings icon (top right hand side of the Team app homepage)

The cost will remain unchanged at $25. To order your Stadium Entry Card for the 2021 Spring season, please follow the link below.

Link to team app: https://sbadomesticcompetition.teamapp.com/?_webpage=v1

COVID restrictions still only allow 50 people to gather in public, so our postponed Family Day at Sacred Heart will be rescheduled to hopefully the end of the Spring season. 

Thank you parents, supporters and families for adhering to the COVID restrictions that don’t always allow optimal viewing. Well done to the SBA for live streaming the recent grand finals because only one spectator per player was allowed. 

A big thank you to our new Registrar, Pauline Pawsey, who stepped in to help the club this year and is the crucial communication person between Team Managers, Coaches and the club. We could not get our teams on the court without Pauline’s expertise and efforts. The club still seeks a volunteer for the role of Secretary and we welcome anyone who wants to become a general committee member without a designated portfolio, so they can see how the club works and where they might be able to help. Our club has also been developing a new website where members can check out all the info they need for Sandy Saints Basketball. Thanks to David and Aleks Ballarin for their work and efforts in launching this new enterprise. Check it out at https://www.sandysaints.com.au/

Sandy Saints also wishes to thank the Sandringham Bendigo Bank for their continued support and assistance behind the scenes. Bendigo Bank donates 80% of their profits back into community sport, so please support them where and when you can. We also have an exciting sponsorship deal in the works to announce in the near future.

Best of luck for the season ahead in the blue and white colours of the club that have competed proudly since 1979. Our plan as a club is to see more growth, especially in our female teams. Perhaps we can get a mum’s team going in the near future! We now have 3 Senior Men’s teams, including an U21 team and 1 Senior Women’s team in the U23 division. Approximately 40 teams are entered in Junior Competitions from U9 through to U18. 

Some reminders to help the smooth running of the Spring season ahead:

• If any team is looking for a training court, please email Kylie Shugg at kylie@sandysaints.com.au 

• We would love more photos of our kids in action! Please email photos to instagram@sandysaints.com.au

• If you are experiencing financial difficulties and need assistance, please contact our Vice President and Treasurer Damien Durston at treasurer@sandysaints.com.au

• Any other questions can be sent to info@sandysaints.com.au 

Go Saints!

Paul McMahon on behalf of our club committee. 

president@sandysaints.com.au

04 4819 8800

President’s Welcome

G’day Sandy Saints Families, I hope the return to basketball has been a fun and enjoyable one for your children and all teams concerned. 

Thank you to our hard working Team Managers and Coaches for getting the kids back on the court! The past year at our club has been a transitional one in many respects. I am a year into my new role as club President of this great family club, COVID-19 has affected all of us in so many ways and our peak sporting bodies, such as Basketball Victoria (BV) and Basketball Australia (BA) are asking more of the SBA and its clubs than ever before. 

The Sandy Saints is one of 12 domestic clubs that plays under the SBA banner. We are the fifth largest club in the competition and growing. When I arrived nine years ago as a Coach and Team Manager, we had 20 teams in the competition. Now we have nearly 50 teams, including our first U21 boys team and our second Open Men’s team. This is truly a marvellous effort and even bigger accomplishment. We have four new U9 teams this season which points to a further growth in playing numbers for our club. That’s 36 new players running around in oversized singlets, looking tiny out there on the court this year!

Recent communications surrounding the compliance requirements for our coaches and Team Managers is sure to catch some of us off guard, who are already working full time and volunteering to coach and manage the Sandy Saints teams. The compliance requirements have multiplied considerably in the past few years, as dictated by peak bodies such as BV. The local footy league, the SMJFL, has also changed their requirements, as mandatory courses and hoops to jump through have increased for all community sport volunteers. We understand it takes time to stay compliant. Please don’t hesitate to ask the club for help should you need it.

I would also like to recognise that our club has committee members doing double duty with certain roles at present because we’ve had some hard working people leave for a variety of reasons in 2020. We’ve had to outsource our accounting role at a cost to the club annually. The club did send out four communications last year asking for a new Treasurer, but with no takers, hence the outsourcing of the role. If we do not fill the vacant roles at present, we may have to pay for outside help again in those roles still requiring to be filled and that comes at a cost and probable fee increases for our families.

Our current club fees of $230 are among the lowest out of the 12 domestic clubs, as are our uniform costs. The BV fees and SBA fees added in the past year are also a new addition to the running costs of basketball. A call to action is if you are capable and have the bandwidth to assist, we would love to hear from you as we could certainly do with the experience and support that you would bring to this marvellous family sporting network.

The Sandy Saints is a club whose foundations stem back for decades, however we have never been this short on committee members which at some point will have an impact on how we facilitate and run our family club. More importantly the only reason we do this is to support the endeavours of our children who are just wanting to play the game that they love and enjoy so much. Again, if you have the time and energy to support, then please let me know or one of the committee members know. We would love to have you on board. Our next committee meeting is Monday March 22 via Zoom and you are welcome to attend. Please let me know and the Zoom link can be forwarded to you.

If your team needs help at present, please contact your registrar. If you need help with compliance, please contact me. Finally, it would be great to see lots of photos of the kids playing basketball again on our Instagram page. Let’s keep the momentum moving as we return to life as “normal” as possible. Please send your Saints’ snaps to instagram@sandysaints.com.au.

I look forward to communicating with you a little more often during these challenging times. Go Saints!

Paul McMahon

President Sandy Saints Basketball Club.