Cricket chaplain of 23 years, Mark Tronson, chairman of Well-Being Australia and a Baptist minister, is honoured that the respite facilities 'Basil Sellers Tweed' and 'Basil Sellers Moruya' have been given a top billing to Cricket by none other than Mr Basil Sellers himself.
"'Cricket family respite' was officially launched in November, when these two respite facilities were explicitly made available to the cricket fraternity," M V Tronson explained.
"'Cricket family respite' has been promoted to Cricket Australia, the State Cricket Associations and the retired Australian cricketing fraternity as a facility available for their use, in the same way as it has been made available to AIS athletes, coaches and families over many years.
"I was delighted to learn that Mr Basil Sellers has encouraged cricketers' use of the facilities because he has been a long term supporter of cricket. Over many years he has donated various scholarships," M V Tronson commented.
'Basil Sellers Moruya' on the New South Wales south coast was initially opened in 1992 in order to provide rest, recreation and respite for athletes, coaches and families from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra.
When Mark and Delma Tronson relocated to the Tweed so as to establish 'Basil Sellers Tweed', Kim and Michelle Gillis began ministering at 'Basil Sellers Moruya'. 'Basil Sellers Tweed' was then established in 2006 at Casuarina on the north coast of New South Wales to replicate the Moruya facility.
"Located on Casuarina beach at the Surfing Australia's High Performance Centre, it is ideally located to cater for the Australian Institute of Sport units based in south east Queensland, such as Diving, Softball, Flatwater Canoe, Men's and Women's Cricket, Softball. It is also utilised by Canberra based AIS people, who find it a very pleasant climate," mused Mark Tronson.
This rest, recreation and respite period also includes a pastoral visit from Mark Tronson and his wife Delma. Over many years, this has proven to be a delightful way to establish a different type of ministry.
"For example, when families visit, Delma often occupies the children in order to give the Mums and Dads a break. This enables the building of personal friendship and trust" M V Tronson stated enthusiastically.