Two years after opening in Hobart, Tasmanian brand Swisherr have made their first steps into Launceston.
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Founded by NBL champions Mark Nash and Anthony Stewart as well as former Premier David Bartlett, the organisation have opened two Shotlab facilities in the Theogenes building on Boland Street.
The Shotlabs are high-tech ball machines that do the rebounding for the athletes, passing balls out at three locations on the court and can track your data along the way.
Co-owner Roger Davis explained the Northern developments had been 12 months in the making.
"We've been talking about it with mainly David over the last 12 months, trying to find bigger premises was the ideal key to start with, to replicate what they've got in the old K and D Warehouse in Hobart," he said.
"Unfortunately we haven't been able to find an appropriate building to utilise at this stage so we thought we want to get the Swisherr brand here and this was the best way of doing it."
Co-founder Nash - who played for the Hobart Devils, Brisbane Bullets and Adelaide 36ers - added: "We have a bigger facility in Hobart and that's a part of the broader vision for Launceston that in addition to the Shotlabs, we'll be able to find a place to put some further courts, which will help ease the pressure for local clubs and schools and importantly, the new people that are joining our sport every day and week.
"This is the start in Launceston and it's terrific to see the Shotlabs opening this weekend."
Converting two old squash courts at Theogenes provided the perfect alternative and space for the Shotlab's needs, getting another training facility up and going in Launceston.
"There's a lack of training facilities in Launceston and the North and with the increase in young children wanting to play basketball, we thought it was an ideal time and great facility to help out with the demand on the courts," Davis said.
Swisherr Launceston's head coach Zoe Mesman, who is a school teacher alongside her extensive basketball resumé, has seen the growth in her sport first-hand.
Her club side Devils has grown from four under-10 teams to 11 over the past year, partially due to the rise and success of the Tasmania JackJumpers.
One of her first acts as head coach will be running a Swisherr junior holiday clinic from January 12, where under-11 athletes can train for 90 minutes of an evening.
"Previous shooting machine opportunities are in facilities that are hard to access because they facilitate all of our roster games," she said.
"To be able to have this opportunity for athletes in the North to access ... whenever they can make it, it's a fantastic opportunity for them to get the shots up that they want to take them to the next level."
Although the machines can be used individually, athletes can book an individual coaching session online to help design them a program that suits.
"Whether you need to be working on your three-point shot or inside the three but also changing the way you shoot as well," she said.
"You can just throw it at the basket and get the repetition but unless someone is there to actually correct you, you're not going to get better in a short period of time."
The two Shotlab facilities takes the state to six, with people encouraged to attend Swisherr's open day on Sunday.
Once fully open, the member-only facility will run from 6am to 11pm, with those interested able to sign-up online.
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