In November 2002, Ted Mader of Burlington, Ontario, recognized that the choices available to his son and other players hoping to play rep basketball in the city of Burlington were limited. However, a seasoned basketball coach and former varsity ball player himself, Ted was never one to accept the status quo. He contacted Basketball Ontario and determined exactly what was required to start up a new club.
With Ted's leadership skills, and the support of a number of other energetic parents in the area, the Burlington Thunder Basketballl organization was born in nothing short of record time - just a few weeks in fact! Funding was provided by several local businesses, and a full schedule of games and tournaments were quickly booked for the 2003 season.
Despite a very late start in the season - the team's first practice wasn't until the end of January - the Burlington Thunder Major Bantam boys team managed to win medals in all five of the tournaments they entered, including advancement to the OBA finals in the club's inaugural year!
With a focus on developing sound basketball skills, player enjoyment, and good sportsmanship, the club now looks to build on what was truly an outstanding first season.
The Burlington Thunder Baskeball club is a 100% volunteer-based organization (95% of revenues go directly to support the teams - exactly how it should be. Remaining funds are used to pay for Basketball Ontario affiliation & related fees).
With only a handful of teams, our management and club resources are better structured to support the needs of each team. Our mandate is to continue to improve the quality of basketball for our teams and players, with quality coaching & equipment, competitive fees, more games, and an exciting home tournament program.
