Basketball Academy

It has been another fantastic few weeks for the Berwick College Basketball Academy, with our student athletes continuing to achieve some amazing things both here in Australia and overseas.

A huge congratulations to Year 12 student Kendra Rivet, who has accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of Central Wyoming in the United States. This is an outstanding achievement and a reward for years of hard work and dedication to her game. Kendra will also join fellow Berwick College alumnus Dakota Blacka, giving the Berwick community another great reason to keep an eye on the Rustlers throughout the 2026/27 college season. We wish Kendra all the very best as she begins this exciting new chapter.

Congratulations also to our Year 7 students Lila Griffiths, Indie Sneddon, Lillie Blacka and Mia Chalk, who enjoyed a successful school holiday break by taking out the Casey Basketball 3x3 Tournament. It was fantastic to see four of our academy athletes representing themselves and the College so well, with their teamwork, competitiveness and love of the game on full display.

Another student making us proud on the international stage was Year 12 student Latysha Iotua, who represented the Cook Islands Under 18 Women’s Team at the FIBA Asia Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. Latysha played a key role throughout the tournament, averaging 12.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals per game, including a standout performance against Samoa where she hit seven three-pointers and finished with 24 points. Congratulations, Latysha, on an outstanding tournament and a fantastic achievement representing your country.

Last Tuesday, our Year 10.1 Basketball Academy class had the opportunity to visit Beaconsfield Upper Primary School to deliver basketball clinics for their Grade 3/4 and Grade 5/6 students ahead of their upcoming Hooptime tournaments. Our students did an outstanding job leading drills, coaching fundamental skills and creating a fun and engaging learning environment for the younger students. It was fantastic to see their confidence, leadership and communication on display throughout the day. To top it off, our students also headed out at lunchtime to support the school’s BUPSFL competition, cheering on the students and getting behind another great sporting initiative. A big thank you to Beaconsfield Upper Primary School for having us. We look forward to continuing to build this great partnership.

There is certainly plenty to look forward to in Term 3 as our Basketball Academy returns to competition. Our students are already preparing for two of the biggest events on the school basketball calendar, the Champions Cup and the School Sport Victoria (SSV) Tournaments. These events always provide a great opportunity for our athletes to test themselves against some of the strongest basketball schools in Victoria while continuing to represent Berwick College with pride.

We look forward to another exciting term and can’t wait to see our students back out on the court wearing the Berwick uniform.

Gerard Leonard

Health/PE - Basketball Academy Coach