Launceston Tornadoes development player Milly Whitehead is excited about the prospect of following in her mum Sallee's footsteps.
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And head coach Sarah Veale is just as thrilled given the meaning it has to the club.
"It's the first time we've got a daughter of a former player in the group," she said.
"So Sallee was an all-star player for the Tornadoes when we won (the Continental Basketball Association title) in 1995 and her daughter Milly now is part of the development program so that's super special."
Whitehead, 16, said her mum was her idol.
"She's my number one role-model for everything and has always supported me in everything and my basketball dreams and aspirations," she said.
The Tornadoes' inaugural development program, which started this month, is about creating a pathway for young female players to progress to the semi-professional NBL1 competition.
Veale said the club felt there could be more done in terms of preparation and injury-prevention.
One of the perks of being part of the program is having access to the Tasmanian Institute of Sport.
"We do gym three times a week and they're beginning to set up a great program for us," Whitehead said.
"And we do conditioning sessions on top of our trainings and it's been great to be able to immerse ourselves in this program.
"To see what a semi-professional environment is about."
While the youngsters aren't set to play NBL1 this year, they get to train with the senior group and attend cultural sessions.
"I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be among elite women, especially the local state players that I've grown up admiring," Whitehead said.
"And then obviously, Keely Froling and Kelsey Griffin. It's just such a great opportunity."
Griffin is a four-time WNBL champion with Canberra Capitals and Bendigo Spirit. She is currently playing with the Capitals.
Whitehead, a year 11 St Patrick's College student, will continue with her club and representative basketball commitments this year while she soaks up the Tornadoes experience.
The point guard is also trialling for the state under-18 team which she made as a bottom-age player last year.
While Whitehead has been hanging around the Tornadoes for years due to her family link, fellow development player Subi Daly is new to the organisation.
"It was just this year that I've been asked to join the development player group as part of the team," the 15-year-old said.
"But I've played with Sarah as my coach with the (Launceston) Lightning."
Daly, who is is also trying out for the under 18 state team, said having access to the TIS was a great source of motivation.
"It's (exciting) because my family has a gym membership and I wasn't very consistent with that," she said.
"So now we have a team-based thing and we all go together, I'm sure I'll keep it up each week. It'll be consistent and I'm looking forward to it."
Macy McCullagh is another stoked development player given she's been watching the Tornadoes for the past three years.
"I'm quite excited because it's a new thing for me, I'm getting to develop my skills and work with local teammates and ones from other places," the 15-year-old said.
Froling, Mariah Payne, Mikala Bingley and Micah Simpson are among the players she's eager to rub shoulders with.
"I've looked up to them for a while and have watched them grow," she said.
McCullagh, who typically plays as a tall or a wing, aspires to one day play WNBL and hopes the development program will be a good starting point.
The youngster, who plays with Japara in the Launceston Basketball Association, is looking forward to the resumption of the season.
Annaliese Leeflang is another long-time Tornadoes fan who is over the moon to be part of the program.
"Obviously living in Launceston I've always watched the Tornadoes," the 15-year-old said.
"So being able to be part of that now is a great opportunity. I'm very grateful to the coaches and the girls that have welcomed us in."
Amber Brazendale is another young gun with a family connection to the Tornadoes.
As she said she always wanted to play with the Tornadoes when she grew up.
She's had the benefit of watching her older sister, Jayde, play for the club.
Jayde likewise started with the Torns when she was about 16.
"I've just always wanted to be in this game with all these people, all these elite athletes, and I'm so grateful to all the sponsors so we get this opportunity as a development player," Brazendale said.
The 16-year-old noted the development players had a camp with the senior group at Elphin Sports Centre in the past fortnight.
"It was a bit of a shock to the body, the way they train and everything because they're just so into the sport," she said.
"They love the sport so they just work as hard as they can in the training sessions and that kind of shocked me a little bit."
She said the senior group got around the development players and it felt like "a little family".
Brazendale, who tends to play as centre or forward, and Leeflang, typically a point guard or forward, play for City in the LBA.
While the development players might line-up for different local clubs they all know each other well from the Basketball Tasmania state development program which includes weekly training as well as camps throughout the year.
Meanwhile, Veale is hoping the worst of the coronavirus pandemic will have passed by the time the NBL1 season starts.
She realises the WNBL and NBL have been significantly impacted with games postponed and understands there may end up being changes to the fixture.
Right now the Tornadoes are focused on being ready for round one of the season in April.
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