Contributed photos from @Basketball_Tas and @simonsturzakerphotography. You can see full collections of the state competitions on Instagram 

Don College students, Ronan Parker, Kye Savage, Macey Crawford and Ella Tuit travelled to Geelong, Victoria to compete in the 2023 Australian Under 20 Basketball Championships.

Ella Tuit, who was a member of the women's under-20s state team shared her experience: 

How were you all selected? 

We were selected to represent the state after a series of trials held late last year.  

What was it like playing at a national level? 

Playing at that level proved to be a challenge as there is an evident gap in many aspects of the game compared to local competitions in Tasmania. The games are much faster-paced due to the high athletic ability of the opposing players. The games themselves are also longer as they are fully timed, meaning the clock is stopped every time the whistle is blown, and continued when the ball is passed back in court. As well as being challenging, it was also awesome to be able to come up against the best players in Australia for the age group.  

What were the results after the week-long championships?

The Tasmanian women’s side proved to be highly competitive from early in the tournament. After winning 2 out of their 4 first games they progressed to the quarter finals. This game against Western Australia was extremely physically and mentally tough and ended up in a defeat by 16 points. The girls then defeated the Australian Capital Territory team which progressed them to the 5th place playoff against SA. This game resulted in a loss which placed Tasmania in 6th. The women were especially recognised as a strong side after the winning team, New South Wales only defeated Tasmania by five points earlier in the week.  

While the Men were competitive, they had a tough start to the week losing their first four games. Persevering, they turned it around at the end of the championship winning their last two games against Victoria Navy and the Northern Territory. These winnings placed them in 9th position.  

What are some of the challenges of playing at this level? 

As mentioned, it was difficult playing at such high intensity. The week also was very physically and mentally draining. Our bodies became sore as the week progressed, but we had to stay mentally locked-in to push for the best results. Another factor adding to this challenge was the heat. With days reaching above 35 degrees, it was extremely difficult to play and perform once or twice in a day.  

What were the highlight of playing at a national level?

The highlight for me personally was getting the opportunity to not only play at this level but also challenge the most competitive sides in the tournament. I also appreciated spending time with the girls and creating fun memories. As a team we had a close bond, and they are friendships that I value a lot as they have been forming over many years through junior basketball.  

You can check out photos of the amazing achievers on Instagram: instagram/com.basketball_tas/