Team in Turks & Caicos for the Caribbean Basketball Tourament
By Coach Andrew Jackson
T he year in review & the way forward.
‘The 13 year drought has been broken in the land of the Brave’!
1995 was the last year the Purples were crowned kings of the high school senior league. It has been a long and hard fight to regain our true heritage. Kingston College was one of the first high schools in the island to play basketball and the court at North Street was one of the first to be built in the country.
I remember my mom showing me a newspaper article with photos that were taken when the Jackson 5 (with Michael) visited the school in the early 70’s and played against our basketball team. In those early years there were so many outstanding memories of the “Purple Power” that influenced my Mom and me that this was the school that should shape my character. Some years later I was blessed in getting to enter one of the greatest educational institutions in the world.
I started coaching at Kingston College in September 2005 almost three years ago. I was very enthusiastic when I was approached to take up the baton, but little did I know the tasks that were ahead of me. The most challenging hurdle I encountered was that of disunity within the school community. The pillows on which the school’s foundations were built were slowly being eroded. It seemed that I was sometimes in a vast desert with my troops with no weapons, food or water, just waiting for our enemies to destroy us.
But we never yielded, many times I would come on campus I would question myself but the brave in me kept me coming each day.
I knew that for us to return to the top we would have rekindle the Purple Spirit that once dwelled in all that came through the doors of our “Precious Institution. “ That spirit was a spirit of sharing, caring and a overall love for the school that was displayed in unity that built the “Fortis”. I would have to make sure to instill the values and attitudes that once filled the Land of the brave into my students.
We would learn to survive on next to nothing. But survival was never the order in an institution with such a rich tradition of winning.
I identified the Psychological training that would give the young men the right platform to build on. I started by asking Old Boys to pass to give talks and discussions to my squad of players. After a few months you could see a vast difference in the general attitude of the players. No more “coach nu one nu business with us” or “the school na do nothing for we”.
But in order to a play a team game like basketball some basic tools are needed of which balls are the foremost. I would have 3 balls to train two squads of over 30 young men. As faith would have it one evening while at training I was approached by a parent who happened to be an Old Boy, Mr. Farr. He saw firsthand the needs of the program and decided to help and also to seek help.
Some days later he returned with basketballs, nets and an igloo for us. He then became someone that I could turn to seek help when we were in our greatest need. He is still around the team helping where he can; Thanks Mr. Farr! We found ourselves playing in old hockey gears till another old Boy was approached and came to the rescue, Mr. George Blackwood, a past player; that’s the true Purple Spirit.
Last season we went to the national finals and lost for various reasons that I stated in the last report. So the main thing this season was to make sure that these problems would be behind. Our season started a week after final last year (2007) then we took a break in August and started again in September.
L-R: Ryan Campbell, Bradley Lecky, Christopher Thomas, Omari Green, Kevon Lawman, Donohugh Davis, Christopher Crawford, Orian Bradshaw, Sean Moss, Mikhail Owens, Ramoy Hemmings.
The Season 2007-08
We started out the 2007-08 season with a loss at our North Street rivals home of St. George's. The game was a very hard fought and one which we lost by one point along with injuries to some key players. This would be the only loss for the senior team during the regular season. We would get to avenge this loss my beating them in the All Island semi-final by over 10 points at the National Stadium Courts.
The season was good one for us but it could have been better. Our standards are always higher than other schools and I know with the right balance of ingredients we would have an excellent year.
We still have much to be thankful for:
Southern Conference Champions (Kingston & St. Andrew, St. Catherine, St. Thomas) under 19
National Champions (All Island under 19)
Southern Conference Runner Up (Under 16)
National (All Island) under 16 Semi – Finalists
Quarter-Finalist under 14
Highlights of the Season!
This would be all of the above!
Winning The Senior (under 19) titles with a team nursing lots of injuries, juggling the roster each game; to see each and every player step up when called upon and displayed their Purple hearts!
To be the first School to play in two consecutive All Island Senior Finials 2007 & 2008!
The first Southern Conference School to win both Southern Conference & All Island titles Senior in the same year!
Basketball Infrastructure
We at KC need to look long and hard at the facilities available to train our young men. We have fallen far behind with infrastructure compared to our rival schools, and I speak for all sports. If we look at the surface of the court that we train on at North Street it is sheer luck that we are given home matches; it would not be given a pass mark if it were inspected. Take a look at the hard courts next door to us at St. George's.
The Rooster Came Home To Roost!
The court has been a sore point for me: the Southern Conference Finals is a best of three (3) games from this format was adopted back in early 90s, one game at each school and if there is a need for a third game it should be played at neutral venue, usually National Stadium. The 2008 finals were changed and one of main reasons was the quality of our court therefore we lost home court advantage.
Melbourne the key
If we are to move forward in this game we need to look at the Melbourne factor. Once there was a court there but long have those times gone. We have to get this court in working order by resurfacing it and placing rims on the support. Basketballs need to be a part of the school P. E. classes just like football, etc.
When these courts are upgraded they should be fenced to keep out or control the student population so no one can use it has a hideout from class and to keep it in good working order.
If we are able to get these results with what we have then if some of these recommendations were put into practice then we would be a power house in this sport. I should note that the rest of schools have basketball as sport in physical education class. We once had it so we must return to it.
Turks & Caicos Islands
We (Kingston College) were invited to play in a Caribbean Basket ball tournament for high Schools & colleges called ‘The best of the Best’. The tournament had teams from other Caribbean territories, Florida and a team from as far as Philippines. We lost two (2) close games in our zone round and won one. The first game we lost by 1 point and also lost two players to injuries due to hard fouls this team was a combined high school from Turks. The second game was a Turks community college; we were without our usual point guard who could not play any further in the completion due to the injury. We lost in double overtime after we were tied in regulation and extra time. The third game we beat the team for the Philippines.
The completion was eventually won by a team out of Dominican Republic who beat Miami High (Florida) the favorites handsomely. The winners were actually an academy for basketball; they were gifted players who go there to trained in all aspects of the game while doing their high schools studies.
With the right kind of preparation and aid I can see us bringing home the title the next time we get the chance to take part in a tournament such as this one.
NB: The Minister of Sport (Turks & Caicos) came to meet us, he told us that we (Kingston College) were a famous school throughout the Caribbean and our reputation had preceded us. So he took time out of his busy schedule to meet us on a one on one basis.
Acknowledgements
I must say special thanks to these Old Boys who helped along the season:
Mr. Farr
George Blackwood
Byron Bachelor
Dr. Ivor Nugent
Robert Kelly
Audley Hewett
Pete Mathews
Trevor Edwards
KCOBA Atlanta
KCOBA Florida
KCOBA New York
THE 2008-09 SEASON The Aims & Objectives
To win all basketball titles (AB&C) in a clean sweep.
To get our infrastructure (courts, & training equipments) up to a very good standard.
Our season has started already. We were able to send quite a number of our players to basketball camp-- “The Star Search Camp”--this camp lasts over a week and is held at the G.C. Foster Sports College in Spanish Town. Top coaches form the USA come to work with our high school players while scouting for talent to give scholarships to colleges and universities in the United States.
As we embark on a new season there are some basic necessities that are needed: Basketballs, Gears, Shoes, Bibs, Igloos, Cones
THE PROGRAMME
Started July 2008
FIRST QUARTER
Basketball Camp (summer) expose them to the different techniques in coaching
A & B Teams
One On One Games
Identifying a player weakness & work on these areas
Psychological Preparation
Strength & Agility training (weight training included)
Sands & hills running
SECOND QUARTER
During this period we will concentrate on:
weight training
Running Stairs & Sands
Skipping, Jumping & power Drills
Technical training (catching, shooting, passing drills)
Psychological Preparation
One On One & Scrimmage Games
Players will be encouraged to attend basketball camps put on yearly by visiting coaches from the USA & Canada who are looking to recruit talented players for college.
THIRD QUARTER
This period
Weight Training
Running Stairs, Sands & Hills
Skipping Jumping & power drills
Psychological Preparation
Working on “Defense“
How to Defend
One on One defense
Team defense
1. Full court games (includes Practice games)
2. Fast breaks
3. The ‘Plays’ to be used in offence
4. Team Unity
5. Speed Drills
6. Boxing out
FOUTH QUARTER
Competition should begin at the end of this quarter.
working on the cohesiveness of the team from Defense to Offence
Transitional Defense
Man to man & Zone Defense
Reinforcing The Offensive ‘Plays”
Practice games
Team Unity
Speed Drills
Shooting Drills
Boxing Out
Psychological Preparation
We will be working to get our KC supporters out to support us at games so we too can have an extra ‘MAN’ in our corner!
Together we can achieve our Aim “The Brave May Fall But Never Yield”!
In middle front row is the Minister Sport & Culture of Turks & Caicos Islands
Front Left Oliver Smith Old Boy, Mr. Channer Sports master, Minister, coach Andrew Jackson, P. Mathews Manager
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Front from left Mr. Channer, Romoy Hemmings, Oraine Bradshaw, Sean Moss, Mikhail Owens,
Middle row Omari Green Captain, Christopher Crawford vice captain, Kevon Lawman. Pete Mathews manger
Back row Donohugh Davis, Ryan Campbell, Bradley Lecky, Christopher Thomas, Andrew Jackson coach
