Sophie Kleeman has grown up playing basketball for the Newcastle Hunters, and represented both NSW Country and Australia during her high-school years.

Receiving a scholarship allowed Kleeman to travel over to the USA in 2009 to study and play for Troy University in Alabama.

She graduated from Troy University in 2013 before coming home to Australia to play for the Albury-Wodonga Lady Bandits last year in the South East Australian Basketball League campaign, the second-tier competition to the Women’s National Basketball League.

Kleeman moved back to Newcastle before Christmas and now plays for the Hunters again. 

She is looking to move to the Cessnock area soon as her partner Willie Heta has just signed for the Goannas.

She said while she only started the position on February 17 and has not yet spent much time in Cessnock, she likes the area and is impressed by the centre.

“This facility has so much potential,” she said.

“It’s not just a basketball stadium; it can facilitate a wide variety of sports.”

Kleeman said her main goal starting out is to get more people into the centre, especially junior players with all levels of experience.

“I just want to get as many people as I can through the doors.

“That’s where it all starts, with the young kids.

“They love it and it’s a great environment for them to be amongst.”

Kleeman has already approached several primary schools in the area about coming out to the schools to run free clinics with the students, to help introduce them to the Aussie Hoops program the centre will be running in term two on Tuesday afternoons.

She said the Aussie Hoops program will help develop the youngsters into under-10s and under-12s competitions.

She hopes in the future to re-start a mixed basketball competition at the centre on a Monday night as well as host competitions with other sports including netball, futsal and volleyball.