2018 Queensland Under 16 North and South Head Coach Announcement

Basketball Queensland would like to officially announce the coaches who have been appointed to coach the 2018 Queensland Under 16 North and South State Teams. We would like to congratulate all coaches on their appointment, and wish them and their teams every success at the National Championships next year!

U16 Queensland North Boys – Nic Martin

Nic Martin has been appointed to the position of Queensland North U16 Boys Head Coach for 2018. Nic is a coach who has progressed through the Basketball Queensland high performance coaching pathway. Nic held his first coaching position with the Queensland North program in 2014 and has held all other coaching positions within the program since that time. Most recently, Nic was the Assistant Coach for the Queensland North U16 Boys team who won a gold medal at the U16 Australian Junior Championships in Perth. Nic has demonstrated incredible success as a junior coach with Cairns teams, as well as having senior coaching experience as an Assistant Coach with the QBL Cairns Marlins and is currently the Development Coach for the Cairns Taipans NBL.

Martin said “It is always an honour to work with the best junior athletes Queensland North has to offer and I am looking forward to my first campaign as a State Team Head Coach.”

U16 Queensland North Girls – Mike St Maurice

We are pleased to announce Mike St Maurice as the Head Coach of our U16 Queensland North Girls program for 2018. Mike has experience representing Queensland North as an Assistant Coach within this age group for the previous three years. Mike is a coach who has consistently demonstrated an ability to have success leading junior teams, proven by his track record of outstanding results as the Head Coach of Townsville Flames teams in the past. Mike is going into his second year as the Head Coach of the Townsville Flames QBL team and will use those experiences to lead an exciting group of girls at the Australian Junior Championships on the Sunshine Coast in 2018.

St Maurice said “I’m excited to be involved in the state program again in 2018. This will be my fourth year running in the U16 girls program, but my first opportunity to lead a group. I’m looking forward to working with Brady to identify and appoint a great support staff and prepare this team to chase a medal at Nationals in July.”

U16 Queensland South Boys – Steve Edwards

Steven Edwards, has been appointed Head Coach of our U16 Queensland South Boys’ State Team to compete at the Australian Junior Championships held on Sunshine Coast in July. He is off the back of a successful 2017 U16 boy’s campaign, where the team received a silver medal. This will be Steven’s 9th National Championships, and 5th as a Head Coach. Steven has previous experience as a Head Coach of the U14 Australian Club National Championships team in 2017, 2014 and 2011, and Head Coach of the U16 Queensland South Women’s team. Steven’s previous coaching experience includes 1st Assistant Coach of the SEABL National Championships in both 2009 & 2014 (Brisbane Lady Spartans). Steven is excited about the upcoming championships and hopes to bring lots of energy and passion to this young talented group of athletes. Steven’s philosophy has been formed through experiences with teams that he has coached both within Australia and abroad (at senior and junior levels), the research and study that he has undertaken, and observations from some of the premier programs from around the world.

U16 Queensland South Girls – Rob Sleaford

Rob Sleaford has been involved with basketball as a player and a coach since 1985. He has coached for the past 10 years at different levels including; club, BQJBC U14, U16, U18 girls and for the last 5 years, SBL women and has won 2 coach of the year awards and 3 SBL Championships. He has also been appointed Head Coach of the Seahawks Women’s QBL team for 2018. Rob is excited to be able to give back to the game he loves.

Sleaford says “I am very excited and feel very privileged to have been appointed Head Coach of the U16 south women Queensland team. I am looking forward to the opportunity to develop this very talented group of young ladies and prepare them for Nationals in 2018.”