Boys selected for America Callum Holt & Kaelan Molin.
Four young basketball talents from the town of Young are about to em-bark on an unforgettable journey, having been se-lected to join the Team Oz development squad for a two-week tour of the United States this July. Liam Holt, Sam Scott, Callum Holt, and Kaelan Molin will represent Australia as part of a 40-player national squad, made up of some of the most promising young athletes in the country.
Their inclusion in the team is a massive achievement, particularly for a regional town like Young. Chris Holt, president and coach of the Young Pacers, said the selection was a testament to the boys’ hard work and determination.
“To have four kids from Young picked for Team Oz is incredible,” Holt said.
“These spots are earned through tough trials in major cities like Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast. It’s a huge deal for our community.”
Team Oz is an elite Australian program that sends players overseas to gain experience in international competition, training, and basketball culture. The tour begins in Los Angeles, where the squad will take part in a two-day tournament, intensive daily training sessions, and scrimmages. They’ll also visit U.S. college campuses, giving them insight into the lifestyle and expectations of student-athletes in America.
The second week of the tour will be spent in Las Vegas, where the team will compete in one of the largest NCAA-sanctioned youth tournaments in the United States an event that attracts top talent from around the world. “This Las Vegas tournament is the pinnacle,” Holt explained.
“Even though our boys are in the de-velopment squad, it’s an amazing opportunity to be seen, to learn, and to play at a very high level.”
Team Oz structures its program with both top-tier and development teams. The development squad, where the Young players have been placed, is focused on providing rising athletes with high-quality experience and coaching, while gradually introducing them to elite-level play.
“The competition is great, but the real value of the trip is the training and mentoring,” Holt said. “They’ll be working with some of the best coaches in Australia. Warren Rosen, who leads the program, has coached in the NBL with teams like the Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks. He’s helped develop players who’ve gone on to earn U.S. college scholarships and even professional contracts.”
The experience is particularly significant for Callum Holt and Kaelan Molin, who, unlike Sam and Liam, are not currently involved in representative basketball. Their selection came after stepping up to higher-level competition in Canberra a move encouraged by Coach Holt as part of their development.
“Liam’s already played Premier League games against elite talent kids scoring 50 points in a game,” Holt said.
“The jump in physicality and speed is massive, but that’s where you need to be if you’re serious about improving.”
Holt highlighted how rare it is for four players from a small town with limited access to elite programs to be selected for a national squad. He praised not just the boys, but their families and the wider basketball community in Young.
“It’s honestly amazing,” he said. “To have this many kids from Young make it? That doesn’t happen often. It speaks to their commitment and the support they’ve had around them.”
Of course, this dream tour comes with a price. The families are now working hard to raise funds for travel, uniforms, and accommodation. Support from the local community whether through sponsorships, donations, or fundraising events could make a huge difference in ensuring these boys get the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“This is so much more than a basketball trip,” Holt said. “It’s a chance to grow, to learn, and to represent not just their town, but their country. We’re proud of them and just want to see them make the most of it.”
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