BRENDAN LINES
WAIKERIE’S division one men’s and women’s basketball premierships marked the club’s first grand final double – and the rise of senior coach Dan Leuders.
Friday night’s history making double was underlined by Leuders coaching both the division one men’s and women’s teams.
The rise to become the Riverland Basketball Association’s super-coach comes as a humbling achievement for Leuders.
Amid the emotion of Friday’s celebrations, Leuders said he “can’t take too much of the credit”.
“Full credit to both teams – I like to be more of a manager than a coach, I suppose,” he said.
“I’m just that bit of a guiding hand, but everyone has come so far (and) they put in so much work.”
Leuders said the season for the men’s team was anything but smooth sailing.
“We had really interrupted start to the season,” he said.
“We’ve got three guys travelling back for university and work in Adelaide, so it’s hard to be productive at training but we get there in the end.
“Just the improvement that they’ve had since the start of the year is just incredible.
“We’ve been together for about three or four years now, and it’s just been all working towards this.
“We were lucky enough to pip Renmark in the last round to move up to third, we were in fourth, but we did it the hard way.”
Lueders’ coaching double paralleled another feel-good story for the women’s team after its win.
“It’s a really proud moment for us with all the girls pulling it off,” he said.
“But Hannah and Sienna Lehmann playing as mother-and-daughter grand final winners was special too.”
Friday’s wins marked a historic moment for the club after a turnaround Leuders said had spanned 10 years
“We’ve come a long way from not being able to have a division one team for a long time,” he said.
“Within 10 years we’ve won both. It feels pretty good.”