The Shoalhaven lost a leading member of its sporting community with the death on Wednesday night of Scott Balsar.
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The 48-year-old died when the car he was driving was involved in a collision with a utility on Meroo Road, Bomaderry, just after 8pm.
Three other people were injured in the crash, including a 10-year-old child who was a passenger in Mr Balsar's car.
He was airlifted to Randwick Children's Hospital with head and pelvic injuries.
The male driver of the utility was taken to Shoalhaven Hospital with chest injuries, and the female passenger was taken to Wollongong Hospital with chest and back injuries.
Meanwhile tributes are flowing for Mr Balsar, who was a key person in basketball circles, coaching Shoalhaven Tigers teams to several state pennants.
A devoted husband and father, he was also involved in coaching with the Illawarra Basketball Association, Basketball NSW and USA Pathways.
"His contribution to basketball has been incredible," said Shoalhaven Basketball Association life member Chance Hanlon.
He said he had known Mr Balsar for more than 35 years, ever since he was "a young tiger cub coming through the ranks".
"He was always very passionate about the sport," Mr Hanlon said.
As basketball's development coordinator based at the Bomaderry Basketball Stadium, Mr Balsar was responsible for hundreds of youngsters signing up to play the sport and learning their first skills.
And while encouraging youngsters to start their basketball journey, Mr Balsar was also coaching senior teams to success in the state titles
"He's been a very successful basketball coach," Mr Hanlon said, adding Mr Balsar was especially effective at coaching women's teams.
"The way he coached, the way he promoted the sport, he set a very professional standard which was good for Shoalhaven Basketball," Mr Hanlon said.
Basketball NSW CEO Maria Nordstrom said Mr Balsar was coach or assistant coach of a range of state teams during his 14 years involved with the organisation, although his connection with basketball was "much longer".
"He's been around the basketball community for a very long time, since he was a young kid," Ms Nordstrom said.
Mr Balsar's contribution to basketball also included coaching in the Waratah League, coaching country teams and "bringing in a lot of programs that we still run to this day", Ms Nordstrom said.
However Illawarra Basketball Association Executive General Manager Oscar Forman said what struck him most about Mr Balsar was his passion for helping people.
He said that came to the fore when the competition introduced breast cancer awareness games and an awareness round, and Mr Balsar put in a lot of time and effort organising things behind the scenes, even though he was not longer formally involved.
"He just wanted to be a part of it and help out in whatever way he could," Mr Forman said.
Earlier, Mr Balsar spent a couple of years coaching the Illawarra Hawks in the Waratah Men's Youth League, as well as coaching in the Shoalhaven.
Mr Forman said Mr Balsar was always well respected as a coach, and as a mentor.
"He was a character that everyone knew," Mr Forman said.
"Everyone knew him and respected him, and he was a very respectful coach."
And even when he was not coaching, "He was someone who, regardless of whether he was involved or not, you could call and he would give an honest opinion. And if he couldn't he you he would find someone who could.
"He was very giving of his time, and always made himself available for coaching clinics," Mr Forman said.
State Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, said Mr Balsar's community contributions went beyond basketball.
"From his contribution to local sport and particularly his outstanding contribution to basketball through to his contribution at Bomaderry Primary School as president of the P and C, Scott is a character, a personality and a great Australian that will remain deeply loved and equally deeply missed," Mr Ward said.
"I don't use these words lightly - Scott was a great man and a genuinely good and decent human being.
"He loved his family and his community and he enjoyed giving back, it's just what Scott loved doing," he said.
