Lonergan shared his years of coaching knowledge with the wide-eyed youngsters as many of them prepare for the Western Junior League representative season ahead.

Griffith Junior basketball’s Lou Testoni said the knowledge gained by the players will steer them in the right direction for years to come.

Testoni said Lonergan preached the fundamentals of the game, saying without them, even the most naturally talented players can only stay on top for so long.

“What they are being taught are the basics, they need to have those principles to win games and continue in the sport,” Testoni said.

“But Peter puts it into a perspective where it’s quick, it’s fun and it’s enjoyable for all of them.”

While he has made a career for himself coaching the Opals, and currently working as an assistant to the Sydney Flames WNBL side, Lonergan still has the ability to tap into the fun side of the sport to teach young children.

“He says it in the same context though. He told the kids what he was showing was not too dissimilar to what he does with the Flames,” Testoni said.

“The warm-ups he was taking them through to get the kinds into the day he said were the same experiences he does with his WNBL team.”

The region’s young players were not the only ones to hear Lonergan’s words of wisdom, with several coaches being given a refresher course on how to get the best from their teams on a regular basis.

“As a coach, clinics like we had with Peter are invaluable as well because you get stuck in a rut, it just happens,” Testoni said.

“But when you have a refresher course and then you get reminded of a training drill you used to do, and then you incorporate that into your program again.

“Because you’ve got coaches, and some of them are just starting out and they are learning as well, but the kids then see for themselves that the local coaches know what they are doing.”