https://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/mackay-duo-defies-the-odds-to-make-australian-side/3884436/ WHEN Peter Sumpter first began coaching Cooper Whitestyles and Brayden Foxley-Conolly, he saw a couple of “diamonds in the rough”. Such has been their acceleration through the ranks, the pair has since laid the foundation for sustained success for Mackay wheelchair basketball. Whitestyles and 15-year-old Foxley-Conolly are in Japan after being selected for the Australian U23 side to take part in the Kitakyushu Champions’ Cup. The tour marks their first appearances in the green and gold. They will take on Japan, Canada and Germany. “This has set a bit of a benchmark now. In the past, before national selection, it was more or less mandatory to move to a capital city,” Sumpter said.
“We’ve proved now it can be done from a regional centre. “It’s unprecedented that a team of 12 has gone to Kitakyushu, and there’s four Queenslanders – two from Mackay. “It’s a great step forward. I really hope this is going to show the way to others and let other kids see anything is possible.” At age 20, Whitestyles is on the brink of even higher honours — particularly with the Tokyo Paralympics on the horizon. However; Sumpter said there was “an old guard still playing at that Olympic level” and it could take injury or a truly special performance to break into that set-up. Sumpter, as coach of the Mackay Machines, has been actively involved with the pair’s progression for some time and marvels at their rise through the ranks. At stages of their development, they were forced to play “against wheelie bins” in order to refine their skills and advance to the level they play at today. Based on early indications, it was only a matter of time before they emerged as strong forces in the sport. At their most recent tournament, the Northern Challenge in Cairns, both were prominent in guiding the Machines to victory. “They were absolutely brilliant in Cairns, the pair of them. The whole Mackay team was, but Cooper and Brayden certainly led the way,” Sumpter said. “The speed and dynamics of their game left the other teams wondering what had happened. “It was obvious pretty quickly where they could go. Brayden’s loaded with natural talent, incredibly quick reflexes, and grim determination. “Cooper’s a bit more methodical – he works away at it and works at it hard, and he’s reaping the rewards of his hard work.” The Australian U23 side will play their first game of the Kitakyushu Champions’ Cup on today.
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November 2019
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