Community Spotlight Series: Stan Rebis – Vytis Knights
GUB’s Community Spotlight Series aims to shine a light on our community clubs that make up the majority of our weekly competitions.
We’ll be checking in with all club presidents to find out not only about them, but also some club history and what’s happening behind the scenes.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how long you’ve been affiliated with the club?
I have been involved with Vytis for more than 25 years. I joined the club committee in 1999 after coaching our junior girls team for several seasons. Over the years, I’ve served as Treasurer, coached teams across all age groups, and helped run our Aussie Hoops program.
Vytis has always been more than just a basketball club to me—it’s a community built on inclusion, friendship and giving young people the opportunity to develop both on and off the court.
What area of Geelong does club the represent?
Vytis Knights represents the wider Geelong region. While our roots are in Geelong’s Lithuanian community, today we are a proudly multicultural club that welcomes players and families from all parts of Geelong and surrounding areas.
Our training is primarily held at The Geelong Arena in North Geelong, and our teams compete in the Geelong United Basketball community competition.
How long has your club been operational for and what are some of the historical milestones for the club?
Vytis has been part of the Geelong sporting landscape for over 70 years. The club’s origins date back to the early 1950s when Lithuanian migrants formed a basketball team called the Wanderers. In 1953, the Geelong Lithuanian Sports Club was formally established, initially under the name “Neris,” before adopting the name “Vytis” (meaning “Knights”) in 1954.
The club is a foundation member of Basketball Geelong and has expanded over the decades to include junior and senior basketball programs, as well as social and cultural events that strengthen community ties. A proud milestone was representing Geelong at the World Lithuanian Games in Lithuania in both 2013 and 2017, where our Under 16 Boys team won a gold medal in 2017.We’re also proud that many former junior players have progressed to representative basketball, Big V and even the NBL.
In 2020 our club was almost at a demise but with a clear strategic shift and a new committee we have a strategy in place to grow our club to have space for players of all ages from Aussie Hoops through to seniors with a clear pathway through the community program.
What does the future hold for your club?
The future is very exciting for Vytis Knights. Through our Strategy 2030 plan, we are focused on growing participation across all age groups, strengthening our junior development pathways, and ensuring there is a place for every player—whether they are picking up a basketball for the first time or competing at a high level.
We are committed to keeping basketball affordable and accessible for families, expanding our Aussie Hoops and junior programs, and continuing to foster the inclusive club culture that has been at the heart of Vytis for more than seven decades. Our goal is to ensure Vytis remains a thriving community club for generations to come.
