Basketball news and updates
Wizards branch out
It is with great anticipation that I announce that the Walsall Wizards basketball club, previously a youth development system which allowed young participants to take part in competitive matches, has now merged with the Willenhall Wizards men’s team.
From the start of the 2007/08 season, all youth sides and the senior team will all come under the ‘Walsall Wizards’ title. This is an exciting time for the organization as it will now allow growth and development within the team. Previously, there was no option to progress past a certain age within the club. This now gives players a chance to continue playing into their senior years without having to look elsewhere.
The Wizards has been used to offer children outside of National league the chance to play competitive basketball and that is still the case. During the off-season we will be working towards setting up a ladder system that mirrors that of national league sides, who progress through the age-brackets and finally into a senior team. By the start of next season, we hope to have teams competing in more age groups. It is our intention to have teams at under 13’s, 14’s, 15’s and 16’s age groups.
With our strong links to the Black Country Wolves Basketball Club, which takes part in the national leagues, this new set-up will allow players to play at a level most appropriate to their talent level.
For further information on what the new-improved Wizards can offer you, please contact Anthony Wood.
Contact us
Anthony Wood
Basketball Development Officer
Walsall Wizards Chairman
Telephone 01902 605500
Email woodanthony@walsall.gov.uk
Brave Pool Hayes falls short in Cup Final
Pool Hayes year 8 basketball team were thwarted in their attempts to lift the West Midlands schools basketball championship.
The side have already had a successful season after their comprehensive triumph at the Walsall schools basketball festival and were aiming for the ‘double’ after easing past Four Dwellings in the semi final.
Going up against a fundamentally astute Twycross side, Pool Hayes came out of the blocks a little sluggish and quickly found themselves with a six point deficit. However, after a well-used time out by coach, Andy Banbury, the side came out looking like the team that steamrolled their way through the competition in their previous festival success.
The game remained close throughout, with the lead changing hands on numerous occasions with the chances of a one-sided victory for either side growing slimmer by the minute. It was only in the fourth quarter when the short-handed Walsall based side, who were without their captain and one of their offensive weapons off the bench, started to show their fatigue. A couple of sloppy passes and missed baskets saw Twycross go up by 4 in the last minute. Although they managed to decrease the lead to two points, that was as close as Pool Hayes could get with Twycross ending up winning the closely fought encounter.
Big congratulations must go out to Pool Hayes for a remarkably successful season and with the side still showing clear signs of improvement, the future looks bright. Roll on next season!
Contact us
Anthony Wood
Basketball Development Officer
Walsall Wizards Chairman
Telephone 01902 605500
Email woodanthony@walsall.gov.uk
Walsall Schools Basketball Festival 2007
Pool Hayes big winners as local schools go head to head
2007 was to be the year Pool Hayes Community School stamped their authority on Walsall Basketball.
A jam-packed Alumwell Business and Enterprise College sports hall was to play the host of the annual affair, with everyone as keen and enthusiastic about the sport as each other. This set the tone for a great day for Basketball in the borough.
The festival kicked off with the under 13s Boys. Multiple teams from Willenhall, as well as teams from Pool Hayes and Shire Oak entered to compete for the honour of being ‘top dog’. After a gruelling league phase with each team facing each other, which included Willenhall inadvertently eliminating themselves when their third team defeated their primary unit, Pool Hayes and Shire Oak were set up to meet in the final. Despite a gallant effort from Shire Oak, Pool Hayes pulled through as fairly comfortable winners.
Whilst the u13’s were finishing off on one court, the u15s Boys had taken to Court one. With Willenhall getting the victory against Pool Hayes, and then Shire Oak adding to Pool Hayes’ suffering, it was already decided that the remaining fixture in the group, Willenhall Vs Shire Oak, was to be a warm-up for the final. In a close game, Shire Oak ended up winning the game, giving them the mental upper hand for when the two sides would clash in the final. With Pool Hayes edging past Willenhall’s girls’ teams at both u13 and u15 ages, as well as missing out on the u13s boys, Willenhall were keen to regain the u15s boys’ trophy they walked away with in the previous year’s festival. This wasn’t to be the way, however, as the size of Shire Oak’s team, and an intimidating zone defence helped Shire Oak come away with the honours.
This just left the u18s. With Willenhall and Joseph Leckie meeting in the final, a genuine sense of rivalry was ripe. In a game that was neck and neck from start to finish, Willenhall edged the game by a couple of points to wind up victorious.
Many thanks to all who entered and assisted and will look forward to next years’ festivities.
Anthony Wood
Basketball Development Officer