Why Choose Us?

Why Choose Basketball Tours Australia?

1. Our boss is an Aussie!!

The Owner/Manager of BTA is Australian born and lived in Australia for most of his life until moving to the USA in 2002. Craig Douglass is from Sydney, Australia currently residing Cary, North Carolina. Briefly, Craig has coached extensively in Australia at various levels including the (former) CBA Sydney Comets, BNSW ITC Program, State teams, 1995 All-Australian Camp and locally for the Sutherland Sharks Basketball Association. In 1994 Craig worked as an assistant coach at Lafayette Jefferson HS, Indiana and he has also been a head coach in the USA collegiate system (2004-2006) with Flagler College, Florida. Craig studied Sport Management and worked full time (1989-1995) as the Development Officer for the Sutherland Sharks and was also employed part-time (1994-98) by Basketball NSW as an ITC Network Coach in Sydney's Southern region.

2. Our trips are top notch!

• Level of play: We really work hard to set up good games, avoiding blow outs and organizing good quality athletic competitions as much as possible.
• Hospitality: We work with host schools many months in advance to ensure they are indeed ready and prepared to be great hosts. Our early communications as well as consistent follow-ups with host schools guarantee that you and your team will truly be taken care of and enjoy the Homestay experience. Our host schools literally kill you with kindness as they welcome you into their homes!
• The Itinerary: BTA always provides comprehensive and well-planned tour itineraries. We work with the American host schools and our clients with regards to choosing free time options, admissions to professional/college games, and other excursions. Our itineraries are thorough and include USA college campus visits, college games, various different theme parks, NBA games and on request NFL games. We even send out press releases to local media to increase potential press coverage which makes the tour a greater experience for participants. It's always great for the kids to get interviewed on the radio, local news or bring home newspaper articles. Although rare, in the past we have even had junior teams play live on CBS & NBC affiliate regionally broadcasted networks.

3. NCAA recruiting opportunities

• Recruiting Division: Whilst we certainly cater for teams at all levels, we are the best option for more talented players who have the desire and the ability/potential to play college basketball in the USA. We are in constant communication with college coaches, and have many contacts at the collegiate level looking to recruit players. And let's not forget that the Owner/Manager of BTA was once a College Head Coach in the USA and is familiar with the ins and outs of the recruiting process. We have a successful history since 1995 in helping Aussies get recruited into the USA collegiate system. We have a database of several hundred NCAA College Coaches who subscribe to our newsletter. Just this newsletter alone will get any Aussie college prospects a lot of additional exposure to college coaches.
• Tour Exposure: BTA sends tour itineraries to our entire database of college coaches, and to all local colleges within a couple hundred miles of where you are playing. This information will include the names and player profiles of legitimate college prospects on the tour. We have organised many games in past years with college coaches in the stands scouting the players.

Choosing which college to go to is a huge decision for talented athletes. Sadly, in past years many have made bad choices through having a lack of options. The work BTA can do for college prospects really can assist them in getting attractive scholarship offers. This happens not only through our vast contact network, but also simply through the increased exposure you will receive as part of a BTA tour. Players are always in a better situation if they are in a position to choose a college, and not just have one or two colleges choose them.

4. Our staff is experienced: The staff at BTA is experienced and committed to providing every group with the highest quality product and service available within your budget. We pride ourselves in providing a USA Tour experience that will be remembered long after the scores are forgotten. Our trademark customer service, communication, organisation, recruiting, scheduling & attention to detail are unrivaled in the basketball tour industry. In 2006 Jonathon Shepherd joined our team and we are delighted to have welcomed Ben Morrissey to our organization in 2009. For more information on our staff please visit OUR PEOPLE.