Sport
10 July, 2025
SMT introduce buddies concept
This year Southern Mallee Thunder introduced the buddies concept to our Moddies program.
After the successful Buddy Day in Dimboola, Moddies coach Courtney Jones wanted to introduce the concept to her group of kids ranging from ages 9-12.
A passionate group of senior players and umpires came along to training in Beulah to mentor the upcoming Thunder stars.
The Moddies’ players rotated through game time and drills with their mentor, and received lots of personalised feedback from their buddy.
It was a special evening highlighting the family values Southern Mallee Thunder holds.
Kat Landrigan reflected on the session saying “it was such a great night to spend with our little Thunder crew. The buzz of enthusiasm was high.
It was awesome to watch them play and see how far they come along since the start of the season.
They are like little sponges, soaking up all the tips and pointers. I wish I could bottle their energy.”
Courtney Jones was thrilled with the enthusiasm of the senior group to support the younger players and called the night a huge success.
She extends her thanks to everyone who volunteered their time to support the idea.
A Grade coaches, Steph Thomson and Jodie Hayes, commended the idea and noted “it was an absolute privilege to mentor the juniors”. They said they “loved sharing tips, learning drills and getting to know their little buddies” and summarised the night as having high community spirit”.
The Moddies kids continue to improve every week as a result of their hard work, and this session will have a huge effect on their confidence levels.
Youngster, Evie Simpson said, “I liked having smaller groups and getting tips from our buddies to help us improve our skills.”In the words of Steph and Jodie, “the best part was seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces”.
