Heading into their third New Balance University Basketball League Grand Final, La Trobe University’s basketball Head Coach Cameron Burt recognises the journey his team has been on since the team’s debut in 2021.
Kicking off during the peak of COVID-affected sport, the league has doubled, and talent continues to flourish in the university sport sector. But the journey to get to yet another finals run hasn’t been taken for granted as student-athletes come from a wide range of degrees to compete on court.
“I love basketball as a whole and have been lucky enough to coach around the world.” Said Burt. “When this job opportunity came across my desk I jumped at it, and have loved every second.”
“Most of the athletes in our program are in different courses and classes. If it weren’t for being a part of the team, the friendships that have been made here wouldn’t exist."
“It is a fantastic opportunity to be able to fly around the country, playing the sport we all love.”
Recognising that his career goals of playing in the NBA was at risk at a young age, Cameron Burt embraced the chance to stay involved with the sport he loved but shifted his career focus, taking up coaching.
Proving that sport is a career with unlimited potential, he started out coaching his sister’s under 8’s team and has now been all over the world, coaching high school and college basketball in Canada, to Taiwan with the UBL.
But even with this wealth of experience, it’s team growth that Coach Burt is proud of, something that his 2024 La Trobe University Women’s team has shown from day one of the season.
“I think we’ve always had the base skills, but we’ve grown hugely in a team chemistry sense.” Burt said.
“We’ve had quite a few new additions, we’ve had lots in and out due to a multitude of reasons, but we’ve been able to win enough games to be in the big dance.
Being a big team it’s important to be happy as a group but even happier for someone else’s success as much as we are for our own as individuals.”
This culture and chemistry approach helps to highlight opportunities for student-athletes, both on and off the court, with the sport having unlimited potential for growth.
“More and more teams and programs seem to be getting more and more skilled players of high levels and it’s a great look for the league.” Burt continued.
“I really think this has the ability to be a full-fledged yearlong league that will take off in a big way.”
But for now, while his team are focused on the last match of the year, Coach Burt said they won’t approach this game any differently, wanting to stay true to their game plan and culture that has served them so well to date.
“We go out there with the game plan, and to enjoy ourselves. This is our third season in a row meeting the fantastic University of Sydney team in the Grand Final, so we know exactly what we’re in for thanks to a bit of experience.”
You can watch La Trobe University take on The University of Sydney in the New Balance University Basketball League Grand Final live at 1pm AEST on Wednesday 29 May on UniSport TV.