The Tasmania JackJumpers and Jewels have made their first joint community appearance, with coaches Scott Roth and Claudia Brassard visiting Kingston Public School to inspire the next generation of basketballers.
The visit marked an important step for the club’s inaugural women’s team as it begins building connections across Tasmania and joining the JackJumpers’ existing community programs.
Brassard said the opportunity to appear alongside the JackJumpers was an exciting milestone for the Jewels.
“We’re really excited to be part of what Scott’s built and the JackJumpers have built and try to … bring in the Jewels into that,” she said.
The clubs said they would continue looking at opportunities to bring the JackJumpers and Jewels together in schools and community events, with players from both teams to be involved.
“There’s a powerful message in having both the men’s and women’s teams together,” the club said.
The JackJumpers already visit around 150 schools each year and run about 270 clinics, with Roth also regularly visiting schools to speak about leadership.
The arrival of the Jewels will expand those opportunities, with Brassard and the women’s team set to become part of the club’s community engagement.
Brassard said the JackJumpers’ reputation had helped attract talent to the Jewels’ inaugural roster, with players also embracing the opportunity to become role models for young Tasmanians.
“The organisation has an incredible reputation,” she said.
“A big part of our us being the role models in the state around you can be what you can see is really important,” she said.
The Jewels have one more player to announce, with the full squad expected in Tasmania by late August or early September.
JackJumpers coach Scott Roth said giving back to the community remained a core priority for him and his team.
“My whole time that I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to be a servant leader to the entire state,” he said.
Roth said the Jewels filled a gap fans had been asking about for years.
“For three or four years just about everywhere I went, that was one of the questions that always came up – when’s the women’s team coming?” he said.
On the JackJumpers’ preparations, Roth said all local players were now in Tasmania ahead of a mini camp starting Wednesday.
The JackJumpers will begin their NBL campaign in September, while the Jewels will make their historic WNBL debut on October 15 at MyState Bank Arena against the Geelong Venom.
