Albury sisters Aleira and Kijana McCowan named in NSW state basketball team

The sports-mad sisters have both made the NSW 16/U girls basketball team heading to the Australian All Schools Championships in Perth.

Aleira, 16, and Kijana, who only turned 15 last month, have both played for NSW Country before but now they've been selected to take the court alongside the best metro kids.

"I'm so excited, I can't wait," Aleira said.

"I've never done nationals at school level so I'm pretty pumped.

"We have a really strong group of 10 girls that will hopefully be able to win a medal.

"I love basketball - it would be my No.1 sport.

"Being selected in teams like this makes me feel grateful that people have seen all of my hard work."

Kijana, originally named as a reserve, found out two weeks ago that she'd been called into the team as one of only two bottom-age players.

"I was a bit nervous at first but when I got to the training camps, all the girls welcomed me and made me feel like part of the team," she said.

"Basketball is very special to me.

"The people I get to play with, most of them are my close friends, so an opportunity like this does mean a lot."

The prospect of making the trip to WA together has doubled Aleira's enthusiasm.

"It felt weird at first when (Kijana) wasn't selected in the team," Aleira said.

"I was like 'oh, I'm doing this without her, I'll have to go there by myself while she's at home' so I'm really excited that she gets to be part of the team.

"This is my first and only year in 16-and-under so it's pretty special to do it with my sister."

Aleira will play anywhere from point guard (1) to small forward (3), with Kijana operating as shooting guard (2) and small forward.

"It's a lot of positions to take on but I'm excited," Aleira said.

"I've never really played 3 before but in this team, we have some pretty good point guards and guards so I'm happy to play wherever.

"South Australia is probably going to be our strongest competition and we play them on the first day so it'll be a good chance to get our team into the swing of things.

"We know that we have to be on our game from the get-go."

Watching her daughters take on the best the young players from around Australia is going to put a huge smile on the face of Caroline McCowan.

"There's only a few country girls in this state team so having both of them in with the metro girls, I'm pretty proud they're in the best of the best in NSW," Caroline said.

"It's going to be great."

Also travelling to Perth is Thurgoona Public School teacher Tony Hill, who's coaching the NSW 12-and-under boys team.

Hill led the MacKillop team in 1995 and four years later became the first Catholic primary school teacher to be given a state coaching role.

After four years in charge of the NSW boys, he coached the girls in 2006-07, the boys again in 2008 and then returned in 2019 after a decade out of the system.

"I like being challenged by the fact you're up against the cream of the crop throughout Australia and some really good coaches," Hill said.

"It's also seeing the development from day one to the very end of those boys gelling as a team and also as individuals.

"You're bringing together supposedly the 10 best players from around the state and trying to mould them into a formidable unit in a very short period of time.

"We have a three-day camp during the holidays, we'll train together for an hour on Saturday and we start the championships on Sunday.

"Every other state is getting together for at least 6-10 weekends so we're behind the eight-ball.

"I'm NSW through and through and we love to beat Victoria.

"It doesn't happen all that often but it's the camaraderie you form with the boys and their parents, who are really supportive, which I love."

The championships run from August 19-25 at the Willetton Basketball Stadium.

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