Australian Boomer and former Ballarat Miners player Nathan Sobey has agreed to take on an ambassadorial role with the Ballarat Sports and Events Centre.
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Sobey, who is from Warrnambool, will be a Western Victoria regional hub ambassador.
In accepting the role, Sobey is throwing his support behind the proposed development of a strength,
conditioning and learning centre as part of the now under construction BSEC in Wendouree.
This is on the drawing board for stage two of the project, with funding still being sought to see it to fruition.
Basketball Ballarat chief executive officer Peter Eddy said Ballarat had a key role to play in a development pathway for players, coaches and administrators at all levels.
He said a strength, conditioning and learning centre would meet their needs.
“Stage two plans will provide even greater learning and testing opportunities,” Eddy said.
The Greater Western region for basketball reaches from Bacchus Marsh to Daylesford, across to Maryborough then to Horsham, Portland and then back to Warrnambool.
Eddy said the region had 12,950 players last year, many of whom were already serviced by Ballarat as the host venue for the region.
“Of this number, some 69 per cent are junior athletes relying on their parents to transport them around the state.”
He said stage two would also provide a regional training centre and educational base for volleyball, netball and basketball – providing a career path from a beginner through to senior national representation in their own backyard.
Eddy said with Sobey being from Warrnambool, he understood the value of a career pathway in Western Victoria to ease the burden of time and cost for families.
He said a strength, conditioning and learning centre as part of the new Ballarat facility would make the venue among the best in regional Australia.
“My career path was made so much easier by having opportunities close to home that afforded me the chance to pursue my dreams before heading overseas,” Sobey said.
Sobey attended St Patrick’s College and in that time played at junior representative level for Ballarat and in the Big V youth league.
These springboarded him to college in the United States.
Sobey returned to Australia and joined the Miners in the South East Australian Basketball League in 2014 and has gone on to play with Cairns and Adelaide in the National Basketball League.
He represented Australia at this year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
The State Labor Government has announced it will invest $5 million to establish seven new high-performance basketball hubs around the state.
Eddy said Sobey planned to be available in his off-seasons to host elite and grassroots development camps at BSEC as part of the ambassadorial role.
