By JARROD POTTER
ALL signs are trending upwards for the Casey Cavaliers with their 2014 coaches all re-signing for 2015 and beyond.
Stewart Baird (senior men), Phil Thomas (youth league men) and Tim Parker (senior women) will all stay with the Big V team with Baird getting a five-year extension while Thomas and Parker both earned two-year deals.
“It’s the most positive piece of feedback you could get,” Baird said.
“The great thing is I know the club well enough that it isn’t just about the results on-court, but also the shift in culture and the direction we’re taking the senior program overall.”
Baird wanted to confirm his ties to the club half-way through the 2014 season and the Cavaliers’ board decided emphatically to keep him around as men’s head coach until 2019.
“I approached the club mid-year – as any coach winning would do – and really said I don’t have any intention of going anywhere and if you want me to stay around, let’s put it to bed,” Baird said.
“When they asked me ‘how do you feel about five years’ – I thought it was three more on top of the two – but they wanted me around for another five.”
Most of the spots in the Cavaliers’ senior men’s roster have been set with a few new recruits yet to be revealed as the Cavaliers finalise their list, leaving the Cavaliers men in the rare position of not needing to host senior try-outs this year.
The Cavaliers will soon head away on a pre-season camp and Baird said it was a highlight of the club that all three senior teams worked together to improve before the first tip-off.
“That’s one of the great things about the culture of our club.
“The senior program sees itself as one program – on court we can’t practice together – but in the pre-season we can practice together… the three teams spend time together before Christmas… keen to do that again.”
“Valuable and you only have to see the triple-header games from 4.30 to 8.30pm to see that cross-team culture that’s developed over the last 18 months.”
Casey Cavaliers president Simon Krug said getting the trio of coaches locked away for next season and beyond was a boon for the Big V program.
“We’ve signed Stewart up for five years, Phil for two and Tim two as well,” Krug said.
“We’re pretty excited about next season – The club’s going places and we think it’s great to have them all back on board… I think we’ve got a very bright future.”
The Cavaliers are hosting try-outs for the youth league and Big V women’s teams in October. The youth league trialling on Sunday 19 and 26 October at Casey Indoor Leisure Centre and 22 and 29 October at Casey East Secondary College.
Cavaliers women will have the same dates at Casey Indoor Leisure Centre as the Youth League, but will trial on Wednesday 23 and 30 October at Casey East Secondary College.
For more information on the try-outs, contact the club at info@caseybasketball.com.au.
