Following the conclusion of a busy first half of the season, here is a review of all the youth team’s campaigns so far!
1. NATIONAL LEAGUE
U14 NL
The U14 NL team has been unstoppable in the first half of the season. With seven wins and no losses, they deserve to be at the top of the table.
It has been a pleasure coaching the U14 team. All the children in the programme are amazing. The team did really well in the first part of the season with no losses. We have to stay committed, keep on working on fundamentals, so as to achieve significant progress on an individual and team level, finishing the season playing good basketball.
- by Coach Dimitris
U14 NL GIRLS
The U14 girls have had a great first half of the season. Head Coach, Katie Richards said, "I'm so proud of how far they have all come over the course of the season. It's such an honour to work with such a hardworking, dedicated and positive group of young people."
This group has improved both individually and as a team because of how committed they are. They've dealt with adversity well, shown leadership and stuck together against pressure in some tough games. The second half of the season is looking bright!
U16 NL
The U16 boys season is at the halfway point now and it has been a decent challenge so far. The level of skill in the league is high and our players are learning some valuable lessons. We are around .500 with four wins over Canterbury Kings, Surrey Rams II, Sussex Storm II and Folkestone Saints. We had two very close losses to Southend Scorpions and Sussex Storm II, which would have taken us to the top end of the table. Nevertheless, the boys continue to show steady improvements in their understanding of the game and maintain a positive attitude. It is a great group to be a part of and we look forward to continued improvements for the second half of the season.
- by Coach Carlos
U16 NL Girls
It's been a great start to the season for the U16 girls. We've had 6 games so far and had 5 great team performance wins with contributions from across the board, while only losing 1 game by 2 points. Looking forward to seeing all the girls continue to get better in the second half of the season. This group has been playing together for a while and it's been rewarding to see them have success on the court, develop as a team and to see some leaders emerge. - by Coach Steve
U18 NL
The U18 boys are showing very good results in the National League Championship so far. The team consists of very serious players who are totally dedicated to the team and the whole club.
So far, the team has played 6 official matches. Their record is currently 3-3, but the 3 games they lost were very close games and the boys still played well.
We hope to improve our level of game and attitude in the second part of the season and the results will follow.
- by Coach Adi
2. KENT LEAGUE
U10 Kent
Our Little stars are shining in this new competition. We are delighted with their desire, intensity, behavior and passion for the game of basketball. No wonder they are performing superbly well. This is the first year that they play in structured competition and for some, even the first year playing basketball. - by Coach Isabel
U12 Kent
Our U12 squad is smashing it this year in the brand-new Kent league. We are top of the table. The commitment, enthusiasm, and passion they demonstrate in both training sessions and competition is immense. Also, the chemistry and good relationship between players is clear and the team spirit grows every week. A big thank you to coach Yannick for your help in the games too!
- by Coach Isabel
U14 Kent
It has been an excellent first half of the season for this squad as they have settled in fourth position in the table. It is the first time that these players have competed together and although we have faced some strong teams, the effort, pride and courage is impeccable. We are looking forward to the second half of the league. - by Coach Isabel
U16 Kent
Moving onwards and upwards with this brand-new squad, formed by year 10 boys mostly. The boys are competing together for the first time, we even had some new recruits joining only a few weeks ago. We sit comfortably in fourth position of the table, which shows the potential of the squad, and although we have a lot to work on as a team, the passion and drive of the players are helping us fight and win games against more experienced teams. - by Coach Isabel
Girls (12-16 years)
This group is consistently improving at individual skills and as a team. We started with total beginners, we welcome new players every week, the girls show more confidence, and we are starting to play competitive games against other clubs in Kent. The commitment, enthusiasm and the team spirit is clear from the moment you step inside the sports hall. Come and join us any Wednesday in Tonbridge.
- by Coach Isabel
3. SURREY LEAGUE
U12 Surrey
This year we are having two U12s teams, the blue team has the highest goal to compete and to try and win it all and they started the year very well.
Overall, after half of the season, the blue team won four out of five games. The toughest competition, Croydon Elite, is the team we will be battling out for first place and it is a good competition for the boys. We have a new coach, Yannick, who is helping us with the blue team and doing a great job with them. His son is a part of the team, and he also covers some games for the white team if I can’t be there due to some games overlapping. Thank you Yannick!
The U12 white team had a very tough start because the kids are very new to the game and are learning how the game works. Everyone tries their hardest to perform, and it is looking better and better. At the end of the year, we pulled away with a close two-point win, which was a great ending to 2022. We stand at a 1-4 record but it looks very promising. The kids are working hard and starting to get to know each other. I think the white team is going to progress very well and get some more wins and develop into good players for the next year.
- by Coach Nauris
U14 Surrey
For our U14s, we are having two teams as well. Last year our U12s were put together as a team and made an amazing 9-1 run, and this year we decided to put them in U14's highest division, and it is the highest challenge for them. The boys have been progressing massively, their first game against Richmond Knights East was a very cold shower, we lost 25-55 and then the boys realized that the level and pace is completely different. We started adjusting to the level and worked really hard. Every game this year is very tough, but we are upsetting some teams. We had a painful two-point loss against Croydon Elite and then we realized we can battle with these year older and stronger players. We earned a tough win against Kingston Wildcats which in my opinion is the best win of the season so far, making some tough shots and working hard as a group. We are like a dark horse in the group, sometimes we can surprise other teams, so it means the work is paying off and we are going to be very ready next year.
Second team in U14s is a development for the boys who have not played in many games and it is a good learning experience to see how they compete against the boys who have more experience. They have been making massive progress on an individual basis and I can see that they are getting more and more ready to play in a team environment.
- by Coach Nauris
U16 Surrey
For U16s we are having one Surrey team. Boys in this team are really focused, and competing with different results, three wins and two losses. We are having many new players who are having their first footsteps in the game and some experienced players, so they can help new players develop quicker and learn how to lead the group as well.
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