South West Slammers Head of Development, board member and former men’s head coach Mark Worthington is optimistic about the future of the country WA club following their first season in NBL1 West.
Although both men's and women's teams finished in the bottom half of the ladder, Worthington says the club took a lot of learnings out of the season.
Compared to other clubs, the Slammers didn’t have many big-name recruits, instead prioritising getting game time into local players who have come up through the ranks as juniors.
This focus will only continue to grow in the coming years, with Worthington stepping into the new Head of Development role, which is a role that encompasses the whole club.
“We're pushing in a direction of hopefully having a bigger surplus of talent coming through,” he says.
“So when those kids do make the jump from juniors to NBL1, they’ll know a bit more about what's ahead of them.”
The culture at the Slammers is one of “togetherness and closeness”.
You only need to look at their men’s Round 17 clash against Joondalup.
Playing at the same time as the Boomers’ Olympic Bronze Medal game, Worthington, who was coaching South West at the time, called a crucial time-out in the second half of the game.
The time-out wasn’t crucial in terms of the game situation but was crucial in terms of the history the team was about to witness.
“Obviously, the Boomers were a very special part of my career. I've always felt fortunate to play for Australia,” Worthington recounts.
“I was keeping an eye on the score and the boys were playing well.
“I typically didn't like to use my timeouts early in the second half so I had all my timeouts left and I thought it was a moment in Australian basketball history that shouldn't be missed, not just for myself, but for my players.
“The boys kept on asking what the score was during the game, so calling a timeout to allow them to watch the closing few seconds of that game was important, not only for me but for them.”
Not only did the players gain extra motivation on the floor after that time-out, but the moment had a lasting impact off it.
“It was probably the moments after that game, whether that be days or weeks, different individuals came up to say just how grateful they were that we got to have that moment,” Worthington says.
“I guess it's the small moments like that in your coaching career that your players will remember and be grateful for, and I think that was just one of those moments.”
The moment was not only emotional for the young Slammers players but for Worthington himself, having represented the Boomers himself at two Olympic Games.
“What the camera didn't see afterward was how much I cried, and the emotion of that win,” he says.
“I was so happy for Patty (Mills) and Joe (Ingles) and ‘Goorj’ (coach Brian Goorjian), the guys that have been in the system for so long.
“For me to see those guys finally get a medal on the big stage was huge.”
Another defining moment in the Slammers’ men’s season was their first-ever NBL1 win.
Not only did it take two overtime periods, but it also took an epic jumper in the dying stages from Leigh Rickwood-Pitt to seal the victory.
LEIGH RICKWOOD-PITT BEATS THE BUZZER FOR THE OT2 WIN???
— NBL1 (@NBL1) May 22, 2021
Watch #NBL1West action live and free on https://t.co/NEk1I7BLMG and the @NBL app ?? pic.twitter.com/OIq3fdhsJk
Worthington says this was a turning point, not only for Rickwood-Pitt, but for the Slammers themselves.
“I feel like we were on the mark in so many other games, but to get a win and seeing the emotion of such a young team to have a win like that was probably one of those cool moments for our guys, just to be able to enjoy that experience,” Worthington says.
“Sometimes losing a lot has its mental barriers but it was pretty cool to sit down and just to enjoy that moment.
“It was a pretty cool feeling just to see the absolute joy and adulation that they had for that moment.”
After plenty of positive signs in their first NBL1 West season, Worthington says now is the perfect time to join the Slammers as they embark on a new club direction.
“We're excited for the future of the Slammers as I think we're heading in the right direction,” he says.
“We’ve got a new board, we've got a new president, we've got a new direction of the club and I think it's the right time to be a part of the South West Slammers family.”
“I think for a coach that is looking for an opportunity to prove himself or herself or provide that platform, there's been a lot of experience and coaching going into the last couple of years to bring these guys up to the level that they need to be, so I think it's the right time to take over as a coach going forward.
“We're looking for someone to come in and stamp their footprint on our program going forward.”
