As Newington Head of Basketball, Mr Rex Nottage has seen his fair share of talent on the College’s courts at Newington over the past two decades.

Known extensively as ‘Coach’, the former professional player and respected basketball figure catalogues a proud roll call of Old Newingtonian basketball greats. Nicholas (Nick) Kay, Luke Devlin, Daniel Hill, Grant Anticevich, Kelly Delahunty, Brandon Freire, Jake Peterson, Chier Maker, Mackuach Maluach, Fletcher MacDonald, Angus Ole, Ben Gill, Jadyn Goodwyn and his own son, Reed Nottage, all former students who played in Newington Basketball 1sts and went on to play representatively and professionally, many for US College teams, and others for international sides.

‘One of the great pleasures of coaching at Newington is seeing our students start their journey from Year 7 and watching their growth from enthusiastic young kids to getting lost in the fog of adolescence and finally emerging as fine young humans,’ says Coach Nottage.

‘To this day, if I am watching them play somewhere in the world, all I see is that bright eyed Year 7 kid. And that’s priceless.’

The Honour Boards outside Newington’s Basketball auditorium, as well as the winning GPS pendants hanging inside, illustrate Coach Nottage’s outstanding record at the College. Eight out of 10 GPS Championships have been won by Newington Basketball 1sts in the past decade, and four out of five since 2019.

‘The success of the program is without doubt the kids themselves,’ explains Coach Nottage.

‘They love the game and enjoy hanging with their mates in an environment that challenges them. They turn up in droves in the mornings and chip away at the long process of being the best they can be. And it’s funny you know but we never talk about winning, only getting better. With passionate coaching staff and enthusiastic players though, the ‘magic’ or the winning if you like, tends to happen regularly.’

With such a sterling Championship record achieved under his guidance, Coach Nottage says there are other highlights off the court.

‘Newington was founded as a Uniting Church school, and we have always had a great program of social justice and service.

‘One of the things I am proudest of in my 22 years at Newington is the relationship we have established with the Australian Sudanese community and the students who have joined the College from that community over the years.’

Newington College’s relationship with the Australian Sudanese community began approximately 15 years ago when Cheir Maker (ON 2015), who was later drafted to play basketball for Idaho State University in 2020, started at Newington in 2008.

‘Cheir grew up playing football in South Sudan but moved with his family to Australia to escape the civil war in his homeland,’ says Coach Nottage.

‘Because of his natural athleticism, in Australia he discovered he had a tendency for basketball which he started playing when his family immigrated here and settled in western Sydney.’

Another student, Mackuach Maluach found his way to Newington College through the help of his adopted community of Armidale in northern NSW.

‘I received a call from a terrific woman called Fran who was a member of the Country Women’s Association (CWA), and they were raising funds to help about 50 Sudanese families relocate and settle in Armidale,’ says Coach Nottage.

‘Fran has also always been involved in sport in Armidale and she could see quickly that a lot of these young Sudanese kids, who left Sudan during the civil war and in some cases experienced terrible things, had a natural affinity to sport, particularly basketball. She got to work to find out how best to help these families and their children.’

Mackuach Maluach graduated from Newington in 2017 and moved to the United States to further his Basketball career.

‘Mackuach went to New Mexico University in the US where he played for four years while doing his degree in business and arts,’ says Coach Nottage.

‘From there he played in Finland and then he was up in Darwin playing for the Salties before joining the Sydney Kings.’

This year, Goc Malual Malek, who was selected by Basketball Australia in Australia U19 team earlier this year, finished Year 12. He is currently being heavily recruited by USA colleges, says Coach Nottage.

‘Goc will go through college and get a degree in the US. He also has the potential to be recruited by the NBA, although that’s always an unknown, but he will definitely go on to play professionally somewhere. Kuchtiel Dut, who is now in Year 12, also has a big future ahead of him.’

Mrs Raja Yassine, Newington Means Tested Scholarship Coordinator Inclusion and Diversity, says Newington College aims to help some of Australia’s diverse communities through education with a commitment to host 100 scholarships by 2040.

‘Newington has always taken a courageous path in its social justice commitments to youth, education and the creation of future leaders. Our scholarships are diverse and are genuinely accessible to the average Australian family,’ says Mrs Yassine.

‘Yes, like many schools, we have our academic, music and sports categories, but we also have managed to create a special space for grassroots connection with families from minority communities who may not ordinarily know of or apply to a school like Newington.

‘Newington’s approach is simple, wholesome and humble, particularly with our Indigenous, refugee, military and minority communities Scholarships. We want to be a good fit for our students ensuring we understand and honour who they are within our school gates. We are not about ticking boxes but taking chances on the dream of transformation through education.’

Coach Nottage, who stays in touch with all these former Newington students, says he is thrilled with where life has taken them.

‘One of the reasons our Australian/Sudanese students decide to come to Newington is that while they care about basketball, they are also committed to getting an education. At Newington they find a diverse, kind and inclusive community where they find their place and excel. That, and seeing them graduate from university, that’s the thing that makes me most proud, to have a played a tiny part in helping them achieve.’