Hi everyone,

Welcome back to Basketball as everything starts this week.

Games

On a Friday night, Marsden State High School will not be available and SouthWest Metro have been lucky enough to get the Mansfield State High School as a venue on Friday nights. Games will still be played at Marsden on a Saturday.

Without Marsden State High School venue there would be 40 less teams playing every Saturday morning so every time you get a game at Marsden you should be vey happy because without that venue your child would not be playing Basketball.

The draw for the next four weeks up to round 13 should be out on Monday afternoon.

Taiwan

Some updates on our Taiwan tour; coaches are finalised and our coaches are Mack Utai (who just finished coaching the Division 1, U16 Pirates team and is currently doing Div 1 U14 Pirates boys) Ramadan Rahmat (also just finished coaching U16 Pirates boys), Robbie McCowan who plays for NBL1 team Red City and the manager of the 13 year old boys team is Kent Pepping.

New balance are currently working on the design of our tracksuits and touring gear.

A current sponsors are:

· China airlines,

· Friendship community of Taiwan,

· George Yang of Ray White, Real Estate,

· Club Southside

· Kim Marx from Brisbane City council and James Martin State Member for Stretton

We are still looking for 2 sponsors to help us. If your business is able to help it would be so wonderful and in return we will do everything we can to help your business. Our trip to Taiwan costs each person $3,000 and includes airfares, 4 star accommodation, all transfers within the country, most meals, sightseeing, touring gear and all this is only possible because of our sponsors and we cannot thank them enough and I know our players do appreciate what we all do for them.

As we get closer to leaving I expect Councillors and State Members will want photo shoots of all our sponsors and players.

Winter gear

We have Hoodies, Track Suits and Jackets for winter and as an early bird special we will be discounting these and will send something out next week about this.

Our models are modelling the jackets :)

Around the tracks

As part of our community engagement and with support of sponsors like Toyota Fork lifts we will be teaching children at Sunnybank Special School Basketball, supplying new water fountains at the Basketball stadium at Runcorn State High School and have offered to supply 2 water coolers and water bottle filler fountains at Hibiscus Stadium.

For those of you who have just joined us, every Rockets family is entitled to 40% discount off any new balance gear on their website. Please contact me and asked for a promo code.

Movie day

We will be putting on another movie day for everyone at Event Cinemas at Garden City. Ju Li Yong our social media person will have some flyers out in the next week or so. The two movies will be Mario Bros and Guardians of the Galaxy.

We are planning the movies on 20^th May to start at 4:30pm. Both movies will start at the same time in different cinemas and the cost will only be five dollars per person. Event cinemas are helping out with popcorn and drinks as well and I believe they will be on a reduced cost.

See you all during the week

From the courts

Mark Smith

Club President