Basketball: Well-travelled coach keen to assist youth

Under-19 coach Zach Preston was well placed to size up his players at QEYC Centre yesterday. Photo/George Novak

Tauranga Basketball's new under-19 men's coach Zach Preston has taken the road less travelled to age group coaching.

Teenage years spent playing dual seasons in America and New Zealand in pursuit of a college scholarship - which he subsequently disregarded due to burnout - led him on a two-year Mormon mission to Brazil.

After drifting away from his church upon his return, Preston's travels led to Wellington to run with the Wellington Saints alongside the likes of current Oklahoma City Thunder centre Steven Adams.

The love of a woman in Utah diverted his attention again before a string of events, culminating in returning from a business trip to find a thick layer of snow on the windscreen of his car, brought about an epiphany.

"I've had enough," Preston recalled after putting his young players through their paces against their under-23 equivalents.

"I was like - I'm moving to the Mount forever."

The sweet shooting lefty said there was plenty of work to do before the end of the volleyball season delivers some of the best athletes back to the club.

He will also take the reins of the Mount Maunganui College senior boys' team in a bid to help get them into game shape.

"I liked a lot of my coaches growing up and I thought it would be nice to give something back to the community and help the kids. There's talk - I'm not 100 per cent sure - of having a second division team based at the Mount for the Bay of Plenty. If they do that I'd put my hand up to play."

Preston said a growing city such as Tauranga could soon support a team in the national league.

Tauranga Basketball director of development Rachael Gwerder said numbers at the trials were up by about 25 per cent on previous years.

"I'm standing here buzzing - I'm very excited. The growth is happening and that's what we are after," Gwerder said.

"I think it's the information getting out to the players. We've made some key contacts at schools that are pushing it."

The work is starting to bear fruit, with both the girls and boys under-13 and under-17 teams finishing in the top eight in the country last year.

Gwerder said it was important the basketball association was patient at this time of the year and allowed volleyball full access to a number of athletes who play both sports.