Tornadoes coach Sarah Veale calls for more facilities

Unveiled as Derrick Washington's successor this time last year, the inaugural Tornado and 1995 championship guard is yet to coach a game after coronavirus wiped out this year's NBL1 season.

With the 2021 season slated for an April start, Veale will have had more than 18 months in the role when she coaches her first match, however it's her team's lack of court time in training - not games - she finds most concerning.

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Availability issues led Launceston's only professional sporting outfit to split last season's training between Launceston Grammar School, Deloraine and its crowded four-court home base at Elphin.

"We're down here at 6am when it's minus one or two in here just trying to get time on the court," Veale said.

"There's no court availability for the girls after school or after work, so it's really tricky for us to be able to get access to do what we need to do.

"I think moving forward it's really important if sport is going to keep growing and continuing, particularly at a high level, that there is somewhere to do that.

"It's frustrating at times that we can't train on our home court and we have no home court advantage in that ... it doesn't make sense to me."

Second-bottom finishers in the 2019 season, the Tornadoes will begin a three-month strength and conditioning block this month and plan to start team training in October.

Young North-West talent Shelby Rayner looks set to depart without playing a game as she begins her college career, while Launceston teen Aishah Anis will also depart for the US in July.

Coming back the other way will be Mariah Payne, who makes her return from a four-year college stint, while home-grown trio Sharn Haywood, Micah Simpson and Makala Bingley will all be better for another year of development.

The Torns also remain hopeful of re-signing this year's unsighted imports Keely Froling, Meghan McKay and Hobart's Ellie Collins.

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"Our squad obviously looks very different this year," Veale said.

"We're talking to the two imports that we signed last year and those negotiations are quite new and it's difficult because we don't have start dates.

"At this stage we're planning for a normal season where people fly in, fly out but we really don't know."

In the meantime, Veale is trying to make the most of a frustratingly long wait for her first game at the helm.

"It's been tough - it's like playing, you need to coach to be a better coach," said Veale, who is the club's first female coach since Peta Sinclair in 2014.

"I'm coaching now that Tassie's back but I've felt very rusty just doing that, so that's good for me.

"Watching a lot of games as a coach and not a player is the biggest thing I've been able to do in this period to help my mind get into the coaching not spectating phase.

"I'm so excited - we felt we were ready in March, not just me, our whole coaching group and we are really excited."

Veale is on a one-year contract with the option of two additional years.