SEVEN Horsham basketball stalwarts have been honoured with life memberships, as the Horsham Amateur Basketball Association welcomes its first new inductees since 2005.
Tim Pickert, Cameron Bruce, Tony Sleep, Nicole 'Herb' Lakin, Gareth Hiscock, Barry McTaggart and Gary Bird all received the honour for their contributions to the association both on and off the court.
Horsham Basketball Association president Jon Fitzgerald said the new appointments were "a long time coming".
"It's just fantastic - in a year where we haven't had a lot of basketball to get excited about - to do these things to honour the people that have meant a lot to the association," Mr Fitzgerald told the Mail-Times.
"From the reaction people have had to it as well, it's clear these people mean a lot to the basketball community in Horsham."
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Mr Fitzgerald said while Bird and McTaggart's contributions to the association stretch back decades, it was also nice to recognise some of the figures that had been the most prominent in the last decade.
"While a lot of the previous life members are central figures from the 70s and 80s, a lot of these inductees are from a more recent era of Horsham basketball," he said.
"To recognise a lot of the people that have formed the backbone of the association for the last 10 years is a really awesome thing."
Barry McTaggart
- Hornets senior side premiership coach
- 30 years as a junior rep coach
- Vic Country gold medal as coach
- Long-time referee
Gary Bird
- Pioneer of basketball for people with disability
- Vic Country award for diversity and inclusion named after him
- Long-term committee member and coach
- Former president
Cameron Bruce
- More than 200 Hornets' games
- Two championships, including one as coach
- CBL MVP
- Former Hornets coach
Tim Pickert
- 320 Hornets games
- Nine-time club MVP
- Five championships
- Dual league MVP
- Retired jersey
Gareth Hiscock
- Former president
- Long-time board member
- Premiership coach with Lady Hornets
- Instrumental in creating Lady Hornets' program
Nicole Lakin
- 20+ years as referee
- Representative coach since 2014
- Former president
- Long-time board member
Tony Sleep
- Played for approx. 26 years
- Level 1A referee
- Level 2 association coach
- Lady Hornets, junior representative, Jamboree, Gold Nugget and Southwest Academy coach
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Richard Crabtree
richard.crabtree@austcommunitymedia.com.au
richard.crabtree@austcommunitymedia.com.au
