Wyong Leagues Club buys liquidated Central Coast Waves Basketball in shock revival

The Central Coast’s biggest registered club has thrown a lifeline to a liquidated basketball association. See what it means for players here.

Wyong Leagues Group CEO Ben Coghlan (left) and Central Coast Waves Basketball operations manager Matt Smith at Niagara Park Stadium after the leagues club agreed to buy the struggling association out of liquidation. Picture: Wyong Leagues Club

Hundreds of aspiring basketballers and their parents have been thrown a lifeline after Wyong Leagues Group entered an agreement to buy Central Coast Waves Basketball Association.

The association was plunged into liquidation in March owing an undisclosed sum of thousands of dollars to creditors — and leaving hundred of young domestic and representative basketballers in the lurch — following months of financial uncertainty.

In order to finalise the takeover, Wyong Leagues will become an associate member of Basketball NSW, with the Central Coast Waves Basketball Association to be liquidated and return as a sub-club of the leagues club group.

As part of the deal, Wyong Leagues Group will install Matt Smith as the head of the new sub club and, effective immediately, has appointed a basketball subcommittee to help him rebuild the association from the ground up.

This new committee includes Sharon Coates, who will head up the representative programs, Wendy Ellis, who is taking over the domestic competitions, Paul Barkley, chosen to reboot basketball in the area from the grassroots and Alicia Duke, who has been tasked with looking after fundraising.

Here catch: Wyong Leagues Group has thrown a lifeline to Waves Basketball. (File image)

A fifth subcommittee member will be appointed to co-ordinate community and schools’ involvement.

Wyong Leagues Group CEO Ben Coghlan said the clubs giant was excited to extend its reach into basketball.

“We would also like to personally thank Basketball NSW, particular CEO Maria Nordstrom for working with us so swiftly given the time sensitive nature of the purchase. We also greatly appreciate them making time to come up and meet with our executives as we worked through the process,” he said.

Wyong Leagues has diversified beyond rugby to include bowls, golf, soccer and now basketball. (AAP Image/Sue Graham)

“We also thank Central Coast Basketball at Terrigal for offering a home to Waves players during this time so that they could continue to compete in the representative competition.”

The region’s other hoops association Central Coast Basketball — also known as the Rebels — stepped in when the Waves collapsed in late March, offering to manage their rep teams so they could continue to compete in the Spalding Waratah League season.

However the Waves’ domestic competitions ceased when the association went into administration.

Mr Coghlan said Wyong Leagues would inform the community regarding the future of the Waves’ domestic competitions and when registrations would open “in the coming weeks through the existing Waves website and Facebook page”.

“We understand that the uncertainty on the association’s future, has made it a tough time for both parents and children,” he said.

“On behalf of the Wyong Leagues Group, I can assure them that as part of our organisation the Waves will have our full commitment and support and look forward to seeing basketball return to Niagara Park.”