SSP NEWS

AFL

Basketball

Western Heights College Basketball Program - 2024 Year in Review

Participation & Representation

• 120 students enrolled in the Specialist Basketball Program

• 34 students selected for Basketball Victoria Performance Programs

• 14 students represented Basketball Victoria’s Performance Teams

• 7 athletes named to Basketball Victoria State Teams

• 3 athletes invited to the National Performance Camp

• 2 athletes selected for National Teams

• 1 athlete awarded a Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence Scholarship

• 2 athletes secured college scholarships in the USA

• An alum debuted in the WNBL

Community Impact

• Student-athletes represented 8 basketball associations across Western Victoria, contributing to a stronger and more connected basketball community.

Team Achievements

• U17 Girls team: Runners-up in Basketball Victoria’s Champions Cup.

• Three teams reached the Elite 8 in their competitions.

• U15 Boys and U17 Girls won Bronze Medals in the Basketball Victoria 3X Cup.

• Year 7 Girls and Senior Boys reached the SSV State Finals.

Academic & Sporting Excellence

• 16 students received prestigious academic awards, including the Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program, Deakin Engineering Incentive Award, and the LONG TAN Youth Leadership Award.

• 2 athletes earned School Sports Victoria Sporting Blue Awards for basketball excellence.

Development & Opportunities

• Hosted Pro Days with NBA coaches and Basketball Australia COE staff.

• Partnered with Geelong United WNBL Program to promote opportunities for female athletes.

Acknowledgments:

The program’s success was driven by coaches Kaleb Sclater, Aimie Rocci, Kris Blicavs, Amanda Paschsl (AP) and Ashley Arnott.

The year reflected tremendous growth, with a strong focus on balancing sporting and academic excellence. Looking forward to more success in 2025!

Netball

As we reach the end of the school year, we bring you our last SSP Netball newsletter. Even as we wrap up the term and move towards the finishing of classes, we have been busy right up until the end.

The student athletes had a wonderful experience at the High Performance Day in Melbourne. We caught the train up together and made our way to the State Netball Centre at Parkville, where we started the stay with a high intensity court work session, followed by a solid strength & conditioning session. The students then had the chance to use the hot/cold pools for a recovery session where some coped better than others with the cold pool!

In between sessions we managed to catch a glimpse of some of the Vixen’s player’s training and also had a quick chat with coach Simone McKinnis and assistant coach Di Honey. After a quick lunch break we were extremely lucky to have Hannah Mundy (Melbourne Vixen player and Australian Diamond Squad member) come for a Q&A session in the Theatre Room. It was a very successful day and we were extremely proud of the high standard our athletes contributed and performed in a High Performance training environment.

The 2025 New Zealand Tour is all systems go with the information night held, and our athletes locked in with deposits paid. It is a very exciting time for the 20 students that will be attending our inaugural overseas netball tour, and there will be more information to come regarding this.

We are also pleased to announce that many of our SSP Netball athletes have recently trialled for their respective Representative Programs where many were successful in being selected to represent associations such as Geelong Football Netball League, Bellarine Football Netball League, Geelong Districts Football Netball League, Geelong Central Netball Association, Hoppers Crossing, Altona Netball Association, and Westside Netball Association. Congratulations to all athletes who trialled and those that were successful. We look forward to following your progress in this space.

As we come to the end of the school year, we would like to congratulate all our athletes in the SSP Netball Program on the way in which they have engaged, trained and participated wholeheartedly in the program. We have seen significant improvements in fitness, game play and netball knowledge, and had a lot of fun along the way! We are extremely proud of all our athletes.

Lastly, we would like to wish our student athletes, their families, and the whole WHC community a very Merry Christmas and a very safe and happy holiday break.

See you back ready to go in 2025!!

The SSP Netball Team

Soccer

Fiji International Soccer Tournament

On Thursday 5th December, our Girls Soccer Team headed across international waters to compete in an international Soccer tournament in Fiji.

Our team of 18 student-athletes were super excited as we departed Melbourne Airport bound for the hot and humid conditions in Fiji. The team were supported by Sean Mahon (Coach), Renee Lane, Cate Johnson, and 18 family members and supporters.

Day 1 was long! Flight delays meant we touched down in Nadi, Fiji at 8pm (after leaving Geelong at 8am). We then had a 30 minute bus ride to the Radisson Blue Resort on Denarau Island, our home for 8 days. After an introductory meeting from our tour host, dinner, room allocation and water allocation, we were all in bed well after midnight… Not exactly the ideal preparation for a 5-day tournament. However, there was not one complaint from our students or parent-carers!

Day 2 started early; 7am breakfast and then a 70 minute bus ride to visit a primary school in Lautoka. We played an impromptu game of soccer, had a tour of the school, and then our wonderful WHC community donated an incredible amount of school supplies to this grateful local community. We then departed, ready to play our first game.

Scheduled to begin at 2.30pm, our girls warmed up and were ready to play. However, we soon learned that nothing runs on schedule in Fiji… The opposition team was no where to be seen. Temperatures were in the high 20’s, humidity 90+% and not an ounce of shade in sight. The decision was made to sit the students back on the airconditioned bus, buy them icy poles and keep them cool for as long as possible. Eventually the other team arrived – at 3.30pm!!!! Our girls started sluggish, but soon found their groove – scoring goal, after goal, after goal, after goal, after goal. 

Game 1: WHC v Lautoka W 5-0 (Goals: Evie 2, Sera 2, Megan 1)

Day 3 was massive. The students played 2 games, back to back on this day. Scoring was a little different for this tournament, with every ‘1st goal’ scored winning a team an extra point. Our aim of course, was to always score first. Mikaela Witt was on an absolute scoring spree on Day 3, scoring an epic 7 goals across the 2 games. 

Game 2: WHC v Fiji Nadroga 5-0 (Mikaela 4, Nikitah 1)

Game 3: WHC v Fiji Nadi 7-0 (Mikaela 3, Evie 3, Arhlia 1)

The day then ended with a visit to a local village where we all tried traditional Fijian food, along with some Kava. Our students absolutely embraced this experience. They danced, they sang, they hung out with the Chief of the Village and our local Chief – Sean Mahon! We also received monsoonal rain on the night, meaning we walked back in ankle deep water to our bus at the end of the evening. We again made a huge amount of clothing donations to the village – thank you students and families for the generosity here.

Day 4 was a little better paced. A game closer to home – just a 20 minute bus ride to Nadi. Again, another late start – but within our ‘acceptable’ 30mins of scheduled game time, to adjust for ‘Fiji’ time. Our students played a strong contingent from Sydney, who tried to use physicality at times, rather than skill to out-play us. But, the girls couldn’t be baited. They were awesome in attitude, effort and skill.  We couldn’t of been prouder of how they played – our girls played football, they played hard, they played fair, and they absolutely supported one another as a team. It was unreal to watch!!!

Game 4: WHC v IFG (Australian Team) W 4-0 (Tiahna 2, Evie 1, Megan 1)

At the end of this day, our students finally had some time to relax and have fun in the pool and using the resort slide. They absolutely loved it and had to be dragged out 90 minutes later for some R&R, knowing there was more to come in the competition space. We finished the day off with a games night together in the ballroom at the resort – where Uno continued to bring out the ‘will to win’ off the pitch as well.

Day 5 the heat was really starting to impact our students – our rapid rate of scoring really started to slow (as expected with back to back games, day after day, in hot and humid conditions). They managed themselves well today, but were scored on for the first time all tournament. Our hopes of a ‘doughnut’ tournament were slashed (as far as opposition teams scoring against us), but kept alive still in terms of wins and losses… As we were about to head in to the Grand Final undefeated. Pressure? Not for our students. They took it all in their stride and were absolutely ready to hit the pitch the following day!

Game 5: WHC v Fiji Tuva W 3-1 (Mikaela 2, Levynnah 1)

Another afternoon consisted of a cold shower and food (as soon as everyone returned to the resort for recovery), more pool swimming, and watching some fire twirling and dancing with the local Fijians after dinner.

Day 6 - Grand Final: Our students were exhausted by the final day of competition. Playing and competing in these oppressive conditions daily certainly took its toll. Sean did an incredible job of rotating students to give adequate rest, hydration and nutrition breaks throughout the whole tournament, and to make sure there was still enough left in the tank for this final hurdle.

In the final game, every student played on the pitch and contributed to our first ever international soccer victory – what an amazing achievement! The skill, talent, attitude, effort and team-first approach from all of our students really is a credit to them, their amazing coaches (Sean and Joey), as well as our College and the student families. It really has been a wonderful experience and privilege to witness, and be a part of. Amazing job coach Sean on what you did daily for our students (potentially as the 19th child 😊), but also the way you so positively coached and mentored our young female athletes.

Game 6: WHC v Fiji Nadroga W 2-0 (Mikaela 2 – scoring 11 goals for the entire tournament… Golden Boot award I’d say!)

Day 7 - One final day to relax and enjoy the sights of Fiji. Apart from multiple staff and parents being hit with ‘Fiji-Belly’ (badly), the remaining crew had a wonderful day on an island snorkelling for the day.

Special shout out to Amanda Galluccio for not only helping to supervise on this day, but also the last 2 days of competition. We couldn’t of done it without you!

Lastly, to the supporters and families. Thank you for your support of us as staff, as well as the students. Each and every day you helped with so many things, whether that was buying our students icy poles, helping to set up or pack down shades, helping with equipment, bringing sick people food, or even for those that remained at home - making us bread on our return. It really was a wonderful team environment with staff, students and parent-carers (but maybe not so much Bruce!)

Thanks everyone….A trip of a lifetime.

 Renee Lane (SSP Leader)