The Under 16 National League team has gone from strength to strength since first
showcasing our team’s capability against Premier Division teams last summer at a
tournament in Worthing. Going into the season knowing that we can compete against bigger and stronger teams despite our size, we have won our first 3 games comfortably and followed up with an Away win in Brighton.
The team, led by our guard combo of Kai Peter-Callery and David Wells and supported by Levi Henry, Matthew De Zoysa, and Miguel Hinojosa, has not only implemented a new offensive play, but they have also adapted it to suit their strengths in driving to the basket and mid-range jump shots. The team trains twice a week, splitting up sessions between shooting drills and dynamic team offensive and defensive schemes. Defensively, we have shown that we can home in on individual effort and transform it into team spirit, where everybody buys into the defensive effort and tenacity required to create opportunities on the fast break.
Our first loss of the season came at the hands of the Worthing Thunder, who capitalised on defensive errors and foul trouble, as well as a strong test of our abilities to control the effectiveness of our opponents’ playmaker. However, the team remained in good spirits upon return to the practice facility and focused on defensive drills and further conditioning.
A combination of the pandemic and injuries has caused several matches to be rescheduled and players missing in our rotations. Injuries have also become a known issue; however, we continue to keep our foot on the pedal as we look to keep the momentum going for the second half of the season.
From the calibre of players that have come through from the younger age groups to the new players who have joined the team last summer, we now look to move to the top of the league table. A challenge is something the team is always keen to beat and both Coach Henry and I are here to support these guys on their journey.
