With the Junior and Senior NBL fixtures in-hand, the club have finalised teams and training slots for the 2019/20 season.
Coach Jo Brawn will be leading the newly-established girls' team in their debut season, with the side training at Thurston College on Friday evenings (6:00 - 7:30pm) from September.
To find competition for the girls, the club has submitted expressions of interest into the Norfolk Youth Basketball League (NYBL) in both the U13 and U15 age groups, and the club is also looking for opportunities at friendly fixtures throughout the year. The session is open to players in School Years 5-10, and no experience is necessary.
Following the Girls' session will be the Women's session from 7:30-9:00pm at Thurston College on Fridays, open to players aged 15+, the side will train with a view to participating in friendly games throughout the season, ahead of a potential league entry the following year.
Coach Rob Fisher will again lead our local league sessions on Sundays, with the session open to Boys and Girls in School Years 5-9. The team has applied to participate in the U13 NYBL, whilst the older players will have an opportunity to attend developmental sessions alongside the U16 NBL side, and represent the club at U15 level. With an expression of interest also submitted for teams in the U11's age group - the club also hopes to cater to the very youngest players we have, and provide them with early opportunities to regularly represent the Bulldogs. The side train Sundays at Skyliner Sports Centre, 4-6pm.
With the U16 Boys entering the National Basketball League's Regional Division 4, Coach Seb Benford has a large squad of players available to him - and is keen to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to play.
The club has sent in expressions of interest to the NYBL for the U15 Boys and U18 Men. The U15's will see the youngest players in the NBL squad participate, whilst the eldest in the group will join with some of the youngest members of the Senior Local League side to compete in the U18's.
Coach Glenn Collins will be assisted by David Wise in the Senior Local League sides, who will be competing in the Second Division of the Cambridge League, and the Suffolk Senior League. The side look to be bolstered by the addition of players from the "Get Back Into Basketball" sessions, and hope this continues through the introduction of the "Open Run" each Wednesday at Culford (8-10pm), which starts in August.
With other club members looking to take Coaching Qualifications this season, the club's groundswell of volunteers has again facilitated the growth of playing opportunities for the basketball community of West Suffolk, however, Head Coach Arron MacDonald is still on the look-out for additions to the club coaching staff:
"We've got a growing number of coaches and volunteers across our club." said MacDonald. "However, we're still looking for more people to come in and help us to grow the game of basketball in our area. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our club, and in order to keep growing what we do on the court, we simply need to continue to grow off the court - and the addition of more Team Managers and Coaches would massively help us to provide more playing opportunities in our community."
If you'd be interested in joining the club - as a player or volunteer - please contact us, and a member of the team will be in touch!
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