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CHAMPION THE CRUSADERS

For generations, basketball has brought our community together and created opportunities for thousands of local players.

Today, that future needs your support.

SAVE THE CRUSADERS NBL1 PATHWAY

The Crusaders pathway represents the complete representative basketball journey on the Central Coast, providing opportunities for young athletes to progress from junior representative basketball through to Youth League and NBL1.

More than just a basketball program, the Crusaders pathway creates aspiration, belonging and opportunity for hundreds of players, coaches, referees and volunteers across our community. It allows local talent to develop and succeed without leaving the Coast and provides young players with role models and a pathway to pursue their sporting dreams.

To ensure this pathway remains available for future generations, Central Coast Basketball is seeking to raise $150,000 by 15 September 2026 through the Australian Sports Foundation.

Funds raised will help secure the long-term sustainability of the Crusaders pathway and continue delivering opportunities that inspire, develop and connect our community through basketball.

Every donation helps protect the pathway, support the next generation and strengthen the future of basketball on the Central Coast.

One Club. One Pathway. One Crusaders Future.

 

FAQS

The Crusaders pathway is one of the few complete representative basketball pathways in regional NSW, taking players from Junior Representatives through to Youth League and NBL1.

Like many community sporting organisations, Central Coast Basketball continues to face increasing operating costs. The rising costs of maintaining an ageing stadium, reduced grant funding and the increasing expectations of competing in the NBL1 competition mean it is no longer financially sustainable for the senior Crusaders program to rely solely on revenue generated through the Association’s normal basketball operations.

Following an operational review, the Board adopted a strategy to diversify the funding of the NBL1 program. This includes seeking community investment through the Australian Sports Foundation, securing a major naming rights partner and increasing commercial sponsorship, rather than relying on participant fees and Association revenue alone.

Our goal is to secure more than $150,000 in dedicated investment for the NBL1 program to continue into 2027 in its current form while positioning it for long-term success. At the same time, the Association will continue to review and strengthen the operating model to deliver a more financially sustainable future for players at every level.

By securing this investment, we can continue to protect the complete representative pathway while allowing the Association to focus on delivering strong community basketball programs for players of all ages.

No.

Junior representative basketball remains a vital part of Central Coast Basketball and will continue to be a key focus of the Association.

However, the strength of our junior program is closely connected to having a successful and sustainable NBL1 program.

Our NBL1 teams attract and retain outstanding coaches, referees, sports administrators, volunteers and players who contribute directly to the development of our junior representative program. They coach our teams, mentor our young athletes, develop our officials and help create the high-performance culture that makes the Crusaders pathway so strong.

Without a sustainable NBL1 program, we risk losing many of these people and the opportunities they create for our junior players. Over time, this would impact the quality, experience and aspirations that our representative pathway can offer.

The purpose of this campaign is to secure dedicated investment so the Crusaders pathway remains complete—from Junior Representatives through to Youth League and NBL1—ensuring today’s young players continue to have the opportunity to develop, compete and aspire to play at the highest level in New South Wales while representing the Central Coast.

Even if your child is years away from playing senior basketball, the NBL1 program plays a vital role in their development.

NBL1 is the pinnacle of the basketball pathway in New South Wales. Having a successful NBL1 program helps Central Coast Basketball attract and retain outstanding coaches, referees, sports administrators, volunteers and players who contribute directly to our junior representative program.

Many of our representative coaches, mentors and role models are involved with the NBL1 program. They share their knowledge, inspire our young athletes and help create a high-performance culture throughout the Crusaders pathway.

NBL1 also gives every junior player something to aspire to—a genuine opportunity to progress from Junior Representatives through to Youth League and ultimately represent the Central Coast at the highest level without leaving the region.

While junior representative basketball will continue, protecting the NBL1 program helps ensure we can continue providing the strongest possible pathway, people and opportunities for every Crusaders player.

Not necessarily.

The $150,000 reflects the level of dedicated investment currently required to help ensure the Crusaders NBL1 program can continue in 2027. Future funding requirements will depend on a range of factors, including operating costs, sponsorship, grants and other revenue sources.

What is certain is that Central Coast Basketball needs to continue diversifying its income. Like many community sporting organisations, we can no longer rely solely on participant fees, competitions and grants to deliver a high-quality representative pathway.

Moving forward, fundraising, corporate partnerships, sponsorships, grants and philanthropic support will become an increasingly important part of how we fund the Crusaders program and strengthen the Association’s long-term sustainability.

Our goal is to build a culture where community investment becomes part of what we do each year—not because we expect families to continually give more, but because a broader and more diverse funding model will reduce reliance on participant fees and help ensure the Crusaders pathway continues to thrive for generations to come.

Funds raised will help support the long-term sustainability of the complete Crusaders pathway, including:

  • NBL1 program
  • Junior Representative development
  • Youth League programs
  • Coaching development
  • Referee development
  • Athlete wellbeing and leadership initiatives
  • Community engagement activities

Every dollar invested strengthens opportunities for current and future Crusaders players.

Yes – but the bigger picture is much broader.

The immediate priority is to secure the dedicated investment needed for the Crusaders NBL1 program to continue in 2027. However, the long-term purpose of this campaign is to protect and strengthen the entire Crusaders pathway – from Junior Representatives through to Youth League and NBL1.

A sustainable senior program provides every young player on the Central Coast with something to aspire to and ensures the pathway remains complete for future generations.

Representative families understand firsthand the value of the Crusaders pathway. However, this is not a campaign aimed only at representative families.

We’re inviting our entire basketball community – including Life Members, former players, local businesses, sponsors, volunteers, supporters and the wider community – to invest in the future of basketball on the Central Coast.

Representative families can also help simply by sharing the campaign with their own networks.

No.

We recognise that our representative families already contribute significantly through registration fees, uniforms, travel, accommodation, volunteering and countless hours supporting their children.

There is no expectation that every family can make a financial contribution.

If you are in a position to donate, we would be incredibly grateful. Every contribution, no matter how large or small, helps us move closer to securing our goal and is genuinely appreciated.

If you’re unable to donate, you can still make a huge difference by sharing the campaign with family, friends or businesses who may wish to support it.

Every conversation helps build awareness.

Yes.

Donations made through the Australian Sports Foundation are generally tax deductible for Australian taxpayers.

There are many ways you can support the campaign:

  • Share the campaign with family and friends.
  • Introduce local businesses that may wish to support the Crusaders pathway.
  • Share the campaign on social media.
  • Encourage others to donate.
  • Talk positively about the opportunities the Crusaders pathway provides for young athletes.

This campaign is just one part of our broader strategy to secure the future of the Crusaders pathway. Alongside community investment through the Australian Sports Foundation, Central Coast Basketball is actively seeking a major naming rights partner for the NBL1 program, as well as additional commercial sponsors and strategic partners.

If you know of a business or organisation that may be interested in supporting the Crusaders program at a major partnership level, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact our Commercial Sales and Partnership Manager, Troy Bosden (partnerships@ccbasketball.com.au M: 0410 632 739), or speak with any member of the Basketball Committee.

Every introduction, every conversation and every donation helps secure the future of the Crusaders pathway.

Donations can be made securely through the Australian Sports Foundation:

https://asf.org.au/campaigns/central-coast-basketball/investing-in-the-cru-program