Australia's future stars gather for the ADC

Australia's future stars gather for the ADC

The 2012 Australian Development Camp (ADC) got underway this week at the Australian Institute of Sport, with some of the country’s best able-bodied and wheelchair basketball talent, gathering for five days for the intensive hit-out.

The camps will see the athletes continue to develop the necessary skills for international competition, with the ultimate goal of national team selection down the road.

For the wheelchair athletes, the camp underpins the identification and development of our Australian national teams, The Rollers and The Gliders.

With the London Paralympic games in 2012, the vibe within the sport is one of excitement, as no doubt the coaching staff will be reminding the prospective athletes that they are on the pathway to maybe one day representing Australia at either a Paralympics or World Championship.

For the U17s athletes, 2012 is also a big year, with the FIBA U17 World Championship slated for June and July. Although a number of the players already in the national squad will be present at the camp, it does not serve as an official selection camp for the World Championships, rather as a way of introducing some of the new talent to the national programs and pathways, but also an opportunity for the coaches to meet and view some of the new talent rising up in the sport.

"It's the first step on the way to an Olympics or a World Championships for these players," said the National Manager for Player and Coach Development, Mike McHugh.

"And therefore for many of them it's the first step on the road to becoming a Boomers or an Opals player, or a Rollers or a Gliders player," he said.

The ADC concludes Friday.