New Schools, New Challenges
Hey guys, this is Colin checking in again regarding our basketball program here in Northern Ireland.
For the past 2 weeks, Kyle and I have begun our development of a new team that will eventually draw players from some of the rougher neighborhoods of North Belfast. The staff of both schools, Belfast Boys’ Model and St. Patrick’s Bearnageeha, have been incredibly supportive and helpful in everyway possible, so we would like to extend a special thanks to them. Following the standard procedure, we have introduced ourselves and basketball to the student population by leading PE classes, balancing our efforts of laying down the fundamentals of the game while also keeping them engaged with different kinds of drill-work and competitions. Though there is only a handful of guys in either school with any basketball experience but their heritage in rugby, soccer, Gaelic football, and hurling often translate quite well and make the transition to the hard-wood a good deal easier. Their footwork is quick and precise, they know how to use their bodies to gain leverage or to hold position, and they are strong and confident in claiming rebounds and jumping in the passing lanes. Of course, they haven’t quite sorted out how the physicality of basketball differs from the sports they are more familiar with…and they have a tendency to absolutely butcher one another when the opportunity arises. Nonetheless, the raw athleticism as well as their energy and enthusiasm for the game has made working with them a great experience for Kyle and I.
In other news, the Belfast Blazers and Bulldogs are back up and running, with almost a 100% return rate (unfortunately, a few of our students on the Bulldogs moved on from high-school, and so we are now recruiting replacements to fill up the roster). They participated in a 2 hour clinic with former NBA coach Tom Newell on Sunday, September 20th, and will begin their formal match schedule soon.
I’ll be stopping by again with more updates in the days to come.
- Colin
For the past 2 weeks, Kyle and I have begun our development of a new team that will eventually draw players from some of the rougher neighborhoods of North Belfast. The staff of both schools, Belfast Boys’ Model and St. Patrick’s Bearnageeha, have been incredibly supportive and helpful in everyway possible, so we would like to extend a special thanks to them. Following the standard procedure, we have introduced ourselves and basketball to the student population by leading PE classes, balancing our efforts of laying down the fundamentals of the game while also keeping them engaged with different kinds of drill-work and competitions. Though there is only a handful of guys in either school with any basketball experience but their heritage in rugby, soccer, Gaelic football, and hurling often translate quite well and make the transition to the hard-wood a good deal easier. Their footwork is quick and precise, they know how to use their bodies to gain leverage or to hold position, and they are strong and confident in claiming rebounds and jumping in the passing lanes. Of course, they haven’t quite sorted out how the physicality of basketball differs from the sports they are more familiar with…and they have a tendency to absolutely butcher one another when the opportunity arises. Nonetheless, the raw athleticism as well as their energy and enthusiasm for the game has made working with them a great experience for Kyle and I.
In other news, the Belfast Blazers and Bulldogs are back up and running, with almost a 100% return rate (unfortunately, a few of our students on the Bulldogs moved on from high-school, and so we are now recruiting replacements to fill up the roster). They participated in a 2 hour clinic with former NBA coach Tom Newell on Sunday, September 20th, and will begin their formal match schedule soon.
I’ll be stopping by again with more updates in the days to come.
- Colin
posted by Full Court Team at
2:55 AM
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