Mooroolbark Flashes coach Grant Stivey hailed the inaugural ‘Search for a SuperCoach’ winner

Grant Stivey, coach of the Mooroolbark Flashes, has won the inaugural ‘Search for a SuperCoach’ competition for his tireless efforts to encourage more kids to pick up a basketball.

Jay Stivey was surprised to see his father win the inaugural nationwide Search for the SuperCoach competition but he always knew his dedicated dad was worthy.

It’s why Jay went out of his way to nominate his dad Grant after seeing a SuperCoach NBL launch story in the Herald Sun.

Stivey Sr, who is a part-time truck driver, dedicates enormous amounts of his time to coaching the Mooroolbark Flashes Basketball Club in Victoria.

He has also been battling a brain tumour that has required five operations since he was 22 years old.

Grant Stivey and his son Jay. Picture: Tony Gough

His proud son Jay, who is the eldest of three children, said it didn’t stop Stivey from giving everything to basketball – and the kids.

“Dad was shocked when he found out he had won and I was equally shocked given it was a nationwide thing,” Jay Stivey said of Grant, who started coaching Jay when he was six.

“There are so many people like dad who go unrecognised and more often than not it’s not a paid role, so they are volunteering all their time towards kids.”

Grant will take home $2500 as the winning coach, while Jay will collect $2500, plus $3500 for a corporate box at an NBL game, a $100 signed jersey and a $150 signed ball.

Proud mum Sharon will also enjoy the spoils given she is club president of the Mooroolbark Flashes.

The club plans to use its $5000 winnings to run clinics to encourage more kids to play basketball.

Jay is equally enthusiastic about his new passion – SuperCoach NBL.

“I started playing the SuperCoach AFL for the first time last season,” he said. “Now I’m on the NBL and it has got me watching all the games.

“I used to just watch the Melbourne teams but now I’m finding myself rushing home to catch the start of other games like Cairns versus Perth.

“It’s good because it gets you into it (the NBL).”

Originally published as Mooroolbark Flashes coach Grant Stivey hailed the inaugural ‘Search for a SuperCoach’ winner