In state basketball, loyalty is valued almost above everything else. And Mandurah’s Rachel Halleen embodies that in every way possible.
She started playing in SBL (now NBL1 West) when she was 16-years-old, progressing into a key piece of the team’s 17 finals appearances and four grand finals (only playing in three) during her time at the club.
With player movement becoming more and more frequent, Halleen explained how much continuity can also create a healthy environment for junior development.
“It’s important to have those stalwarts of the club, to keep driving the youth and helping to develop the young players,” Halleen said.
“Bringing them up into an environment that can be quite daunting for teenagers to be a part of. It’s important we are there for the juniors and that we are role models ourselves for those who are going to run the same path we’ve run.”
Having played the second most games for the association, only behind Casey Mihovilovich, the club and her team have become a second family. As a result, she has volunteered countless hours to the club, particularly coaching juniors, and she’s never considered leaving.
“I can’t deny it being the sisterhood we have in our team,” she said.
“Teenage me was a bit scared of Casey, but now she’s one of my best friends. I couldn’t imagine a team or playing without her.
“Bree Mullenax is one of my closest friends too and extending from that, we’ve got girls that I’ve coached when they were U13s (Rachel Pettit from last season).
“It’s the club, it’s the team, the culture we have on our team is more of a sisterhood, and that keeps you coming back every season. You’re not just playing for your local town or the community, but you are also playing for one another which makes it more special”
While everyone has hoops dreams, the reality for a majority of NBL1 athletes is balancing study or work between their basketball careers.
Halleen is no expectation, working full-time as a physiotherapist during the week, and she explained how she’s balanced this dual life for so many years at such a high level.
“I’ve never been one to fill a stat-sheet or anything like that, I just pride myself on hard work,” she said.
“And I think for anyone else in that same position that’s not a professionally paid player, just getting by on their day-to-day life of full-time work and what other commitment they may have, it’s just about putting in the effort, working as hard as you can, when you can.
“It’s about scheduling your life so you’re not just waking up in the morning and not scrolling on your phone or doing unnecessary tasks, and you actually are working on your fitness or your skill or at the gym. It’s just about time management really, anyone can do it. I play basketball for fun, not a profession.”
From watching the men’s team go from last to champions last season, seeing kids she’s coached become teammates and seeing the club rally from impossible situations – it’s clear to see how important the game of basketball is to a community and everyone in it.
