Jon Fitzgerald appointed president of the Horsham Amateur Basketball Association

Mr Fitzgerald, 30, was appointed president of the association last week, taking the reigns from Horsham basketball icon Owen Hughan.

Mr Fitzgerald said he had been encouraged to apply after Mr Hughan stepped down.

"It's not something I take lightly. I've been around the association since I was 5-years-old, and having a great network of support around me, it's a good opportunity to take on the challenge," he said.

"It's a great community and there's a lot of passionate basketball people in Horsham.

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"And a massive credit to the previous board, they have got the association in a great position."

Mr Fitzgerald hoped he could bring a "fresh face and fresh ideas" to the role.

"It's a bit of a new generation, at board level and for the Hornets as well," he said.

"It's really exciting and something a bit different for me and for everyone.

"What we have to do now is just get the sport going again, and get as many kids playing it as we can.

"That's our main goal at the moment."

The association's summer basketball competition was postponed mid-way through the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Fitzgerald said the board hoped to get basketball back at the Horsham Basketball Stadium as soon as it is safe to do so.

Mr Fitzgerald said it is also likely to be a new dawn for the Horsham Hornets men's CBL side, after club legend and coach Tim Pickert retired last season.

He said it offered a chance for some youngsters to shine.

"We've got a group of boys that have gone up from the under-18s that will get to play a lot of minutes this season," he said.

"It's exciting for them to have that opportunity. And I had the privileged to coach the under 18s side there's some kids that can really play in that group."

President - Jon Fitzgerald

Senior Vice President - Matthew Grace

Junior Vice President - Brent Barclay

Secretary - Amanda Munyard

Treasurer - Cass Haskett

Competition Manager - Rebecca McIntyre

Coaching Director - Tony Sleep

Junior Representative Teams Director - Kara Reinheimer

Canteen Director - Kellie Martin

Publicity & Website Officer - Ned Tepper

CBL Liaison Officer - Vivian Hiscock

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