Trophy success and training camp fun for student basketballers

Basketballers at Walsall College have been on the up and overseas this summer.

After winning the Associations of Colleges (AoC) Midlands League Division II, four team members spent 10 days in Spain developing further skills with athletes from across Europe.  The trip was organised by Basketball England.

“This was an exceptional opportunity for our students,” said Mark Howard, Sports Development Coordinator at the college.  “Not only did they get to experience basketball training and performance at a different level, they also gained coaching qualifications to use in future in a range of sports and career-related situations.”

Jamal Turner was one of the students who achieved trophy success and trained abroad.

“This year’s men’s league tournament saw us play at our best,” he said.  “We’d put a lot of hard work in throughout the season, so coming away with a trophy meant a lot to everyone.

The plumbing student added: “Our success and my experiences of training this summer are definitely motivating me to win more matches and titles this year.”

Dre Harper, who also studies plumbing, was also grateful for the chance to train with international basketballers.

“The weather was beautiful, we got to use different facilities and experienced what it was like to train and compete with athletes who take their game very seriously.  I’d love to be involved in something like this again.  You gain so much from it.”

To find out more about Walsall College’s basketball team and other sports activities, email howardmark@walsallcollege.ac.uk