Posted on 07 July 2010.
Scotland’s national squads have kicked off perhaps the biggest summer of international basketball in memory.
Six Scotland teams are competing at European Championships in Armenia, Malta, Romania, Israel and Andorra.
These tournaments represent significant steps towards basketballscotland’s performance vision of competing at Division B level, including both under 18 teams competing in Division B and both senior squads playing preparation games again Division B standard opposition.
The preparation phase has been highlighted by the first ever GB Home Nations Joint Camp between Scotland, Great Britain, England and Wales attended by Scotland’s under 18 Women, under 18 Men and under 16 Men.
The selection of ten Scottish players to Great Britain squads adds to the team successes and adds weight to the second element of basketballscotland’s performance vision, namely Scottish representation at the highest international level possible.
National Squad activity is made possible by the volunteer commitment of coaches and managers. Together, they will contribute approximately 3,500 hours of their time to the national squads this summer. All the training, camps, tournaments and off-court preparation add up to an invaluable contribution to the game of basketball in Scotland.
The national squads are centred on the development of the 135 players selected across the nine squads. In order to represent their country these players and many parents make difficult choices and great contributions of time, energy and finance.
National Squad facts and figures for summer 2010:
- First time Scotland has had two youth teams competing in Division B in the same year
- First time Scotland has had six teams in the European Championships in the same year (involving 19,800 miles of air travel)
- Ten Scots chosen to Great Britain squads, including eight Scottish-born players and two naturalised or second generation Scots.
- 28 trips and hosted events
- 140 training sessions
- 410 hours of training
- 75 players registered with FIBA Europe
- Approximately 3,500 hours of volunteer time!
2010 International Schedule:
Senior Women
International friendly games v Austria, Linlithgow, 18-20 June
European Championships, Division C, Armenia, 25 June – 4 July
Trudie Hopgood – Head Coach
Tony Shand – Assistant Coach
Elif Yilmaz – Manager
Senior Men
International friendly games v Norway, Stirling, 24-25 April
Preparation games v Newcastle Eagles, Danum Eagles Newcastle, Everton Tigers, May-June
International friendly games v England, Worchester, 26-27 June
European Championships, Division C, Malta 3-11th July
Tom Campbell – Head Coach
Robert Taft – Assistant Coach
Euan Campbell – Assistant Coach
Under 23 Men
International friendly games v Great Britain U20’s, Manchester, 5-6 June
Ben O’Connell - Head Coach
Adrian Flynn - Assistant Coach
Colin Lynch - Manager
Under 18 Women
Preparation camp, Highland, 18-20 June
Joint camp with Great Britain, England, Wales, Bristol, 25-27 June
European Championships, Division B, Timisoara 27 July -9 August
Donna Finnie – Head Coach
Jennifer Gallacher – Assistant Coach
Kara Gillies – Assistant Coach
Lorraine McAuley – Manager
Under 18 Men
Preparation games, Barcelona 10-13 June
Joint camp with Great Britain, England, Wales, Bristol, 18-20 June
International friendly games v Ireland, Wales U20, East Lothian, 25-27 June
European Championships, Division B, Tel Aviv, 20 July – 2 August
Doug Reilly - Head Coach
Alan Lamb – Assistant Coach
Jim Wright – Assistant Coach
Amelia Morgan – Manager
Under 16 Women
Preparation games, Leeds, 2-4 April
Preparation games, Barcelona 17-20 June
Preparation camp, Inverclyde, 9-11 June
European Championships, Division C, Andorra 23 July -1 August
Ian Gordon – Head Coach
Lorna Norman – Assistant Coach
Marianne Hayward – Manager
Under 16 Men
Copenhagen Invitational Tournament, Copenhagen 11-13 June
Joint camp with Great Britain, England, Wales, Bristol, 18-20 June
Preparation games, Manchester 9-10 July
European Championships, Division C, Andorra 24 July – 1 August
Colin Haldane – Head Coach
Russel Kesson – Assistant Coach
Trudie Hopgood – Assistant Coach
Neil Connell – Manager
Under 15 Girls
England U15 Inter-Regional Tournament, Sheffield 12-13 June
Friendly games, Belfast, 25-27 June
Darryl Wood – Head Coach
Roddy Gordon – Assistant Coach
Joanne Holmes – Manager
Under 15 Boys
England U15 Inter-Regional Tournament, Nottingham 5-6 June
Copenhagen Invitational Tournament, 11-13 June
Russel Kesson - Head Coach
Craig Nicol - Assistant Coach
Alan MacDonald - Manager
