THE two longest-serving administrators in Northern basketball are set to retire at the end of this season after a combined 30 years of service to the sport.
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Launceston Senior Basketball League president Chris Oliver and secretary Belinda Cartledge have ensured the smooth running of local competitions in their voluntary roles for more than 10 years.
"I've been involved about 18 years with the LSBL and have been everything from referee co-ordinator to vice-president to president," Oliver said.
"I started because my kids played basketball in juniors and when they all finished I kept doing it."
Oliver said the number of people the pair had met and the friendships formed over a long period of time had been phenomenal and had kept them both involved in basketball.
"Because Belinda and I are very similar in the way we think and act and we've had a very good partnership in running the league and we've been there two nights a week for 22 weeks every year during the roster season," he said.
"We started as a duo and it's no use saying the president runs it because it's really been the two of us with help from a lot of other people.
"We've had to make some hard decisions over the years but everyone has backed us and that makes it easier."
The pair have remained involved at club level with Oliver president of the Rebels Basketball Club and Cartledge tied up with the Devils.
Oliver said at times it was hard at times to maintain an unbiased approach in his role and he was looking forward to continuing his involvement with Rebels after standing down as president.
Cartledge said she had enjoyed her involvement as secretary, treasurer and "general dog's body" over about 12 years.
"My girls play and came up through juniors and still play seniors and the relationships and amount of friends formed through basketball has kept me going," she said.
"Chris and I have had a great partnership - he's the boss and I tell him what to say.
"We have been in sync as one and that's come about from the amount of time we've worked together."