IT MAY be the off-season, but Collie basketball players had their skills put the test on Wednesday last week.

Thirty five primary school to high school-aged children attended the afternoon clinic run by experienced player, David Petroziello.

Petroziello has more than 13 years of senior basketball experience including as general manager and head coach of the Vancouver Titans, elite development program in Quebec, work with the Indian national team and a level three coach in Quebec.

Anthea Abbott of the Collie Basketball Association said the children learned basic offensive and defensive skills

Petroziello, who is Canadian, has been in Australia for about a year and had planned to do a six-week course with the Collie Basketball Association.

However, plans were cut short because he received a job as head coach at a university in Canada, Abbott said.

“In light of that, we grabbed him while he was here,” Abbott said.

“It was a great opportunity to get someone with international experience to teach the kids.”

Petroziello also taught the children discipline, an important factor in basketball.

“The kids weren’t allowed to bounce the ball while he (Petroziello) was speaking. If they did, they did push-ups,” Abbott said.

“His philosophy behind that was if they can’t control the ball while they are standing still, how can they control during a game?”

Organisers were “really pleased with the turn-out, the age range and the mix of boys and girls”, Abbott said.

“The clinic improved their basic skills and helped with team development. David also gave the kids small messages which were important, such as finishing what they started.”