He's one of the most respected minds in Australian basketball and this weekend Dubbo juniors will have the chance to learn from Rob Beveridge.
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Recently named in the Basketball NSW Hall of Fame, Beveridge is one of the country's top coaches.
He's been coaching for close to three decades and has worked with the Boomers national side, won gold with the Australia at the Under 20 World Championships in 2003, has coached three different National Basketball League (NBL) sides and won a title with the Perth Wildcats.
He was a runner-up in 2017 with the Illawarra Hawks and coached the side again the next year, but things have changed in 2019.
After finishing up with the Hawks Beveridge has opted to take something of a sabbatical, spending time working with juniors in regional areas rather than those in the professional game.
He arrived in Dubbo on Friday and will run seminars with the next generation of Dubbo Rams on both Saturday and Sunday.
"My wife is originally from Wagga so I said I'd go and run a camp there and it all snowballed," Beveridge said.
"I know there's not a whole lot of support for regional areas and I love working with kids.
"It makes you appreciate the game. The professional game can be a bit cut-throat and there's a real need to win.
"To give back to the kids and see the joy in their eyes is very rewarding."
Showing the coaches and volunteers in Dubbo how he works is also a major part of the trip.
The weekend, according to Beveridge, will be a foundation with further work and improvements to made in the coming weeks and months.
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He's eager to make further trips west to ensure progress is made and further fine-tune the coaching programs.
"One of the big things is how to shoot the ball properly," Beveridge said of what will be passed on this weekend.
"The aim of the game is to put the ball in the basket and I've done an enormous amount of research into shooting technique.
"It's those basic fundamentals."
Beverdige has also ensured all those involved have a huge amount of fun on the weekend.
He's organised for the NBL to send t-shirts out for all the Dubbo juniors, while Coles will be providing drinks and other supplies, and Basketball Australia is providing all the balls to be used.
Having that support while working with potential future stars also makes Beveridge's current role all the more enjoyable.
He's not ruling out a return to the professional game but right now the master mentor is taking all he can from working with players in regional and remote areas.
"Right now I'm really enjoying this," he said, having been to places like Lithgow, Wagga, and West Wyalong in recent times.
"Options come up but right now I'm really happy.
"You can get burnt out in coaching and it's tough. It's really important for all coaches to get away at times.
"It's a bit of a sabbatical and working with kids and coaches is incredible for your own development."
The weekend's clinic will be run at the Dubbo Christian School.
The under 12s run from 9-11am on Saturday with the under 14s going from 11.15am-1.15pm, and the 16s from 3-5pm.
The under 18s get their chance on Sunday, with Beveridge passing on tips and hints from 9.30-11am.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
