Myerscough Basketball Performance Camp

MYERSCOUGH BASKETBALL CAMP

Our 2014 Summer performance camp will run from Sunday 27th July until Friday 1st August at Myerscough College and UCLAN (University of Central Lancashire). Expert professional coaches and trainers will provide players with a week of comprehensive basketball education in a high intensity practice environment.


The philosophy of the camp is centered around individual player development; residential campers will train for around 41 hours across the five days. 35 hours will be spent practicing on court whilst 6 hours will be focused on Strength and Conditioning. Campers will make use of state of the art facilities at UCLAN's Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre and Myerscough's Sport Academy.

Ages: 14-25

Venues: Myerscough College and University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.

Residential - £279

Residential campers will stay on campus at Myerscough College and will have Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided.

Non-Residential - £199

Non-Residential campers will train at UCLAN during the day and will not have any meals provided. They will need to bring a packed lunch and be dropped off and picked up from the university.

(Prices include a Myerscough Basketball reversible top)

Sample day at Camp 

7:30-8:30 Strength and Conditioning

8:30-9.15 Breakfast

Minibus to UCLan

Non-Residential campers arrive

10-12:30 Practice @ UCLan

12:30-13:30 Lunch

13:30-15:30 Practice @ UCLan

15:30-17:30 Practice @ UCLan

Non-Residential campers go home

Minibus to Myerscough

17:30-19:00 Dinner

20:00-21:00 Strength and Conditioning

21:00-22:00 Individual Practice

Coaches at last year's camp included;
-Neal Hopkins (Myerscough Head Coach),
-Tony Garbelotto (MLP Academics Heidelberg Head Coach, German ProA),
-David Aliu and James Jones (Manchester Giants professionals)
-Nick McCarthy (Head Sports Therapist, Myerscough and Manchester Giants)
-Dave Atkinson (North West England and Stockport Falcons)

CLICK HERE to download an application form 

Please note: Places on the camp are strictly limited to 50 and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. 

For updates on the camp keep an eye on our dedicated page on the website and follow our twitter feed

For more information please contact Neal Hopkins (nhopkins@myerscough.ac.uk)

Player highlight videos

Highlight videos for three of the academy's senior players were posted today. Check them out below! 
Contact Neal Hopkins for more information (nhopkins@myerscough.ac.uk)

Trevor Samuel - 6'4 Shooting Guard/Swingman 

James Harvey - 6'0 Point Guard/Shooting Guard




Andre Gayle - 6'4 Shooting Guard

VIDEO: Prowler training

Monday mornings at Myerscough College Basketball Academy..

Myerscough edge out Tyne Met in EABL, BCS team hand Stockport first loss

 Myerscough College emerged victorious from a highly competitive EABL clash with Tyne Met College today, winning 79-72. The hosts compensated for their poor free throw shooting with excellent rebounding and defence, pulling down 35 boards and snatching 12 steals.

The game was close throughout, Myerscough led by just three heading into the fourth quarter. Both teams had trouble shooting the ball in a low-scoring second half and all was to play for in the final minutes.

Myerscough's starting five scored 29 of the team's 31 second half points and late three pointers from Trevor Samuel and Andre Gayle were key in securing victory for the home side. 

Myerscough were led by Trevor Samuel (21 points, 8 rebounds) and Andre Gayle (21 points, 3 steals). Montel Dennis (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Chris Bwana (11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) were also key.

"Today was a fantastic advert for the EABL, both teams played with great maturity and it was a pleasure to coach. I am a big fan of Tyne Met and the way Coach Steutel has them set up, they play a very intelligent game which is difficult to break down, hats off to our guys for executing our game plan and making the adjustments that were needed"  - Neal Hopkins, Myerscough HC

Today's victory saw Myerscough improve to 4-1 in the EABL as they move to 1st place in the North Sea Conference.

Myerscough 2nd team hand Stockport College first loss

Myerscough's 2nd team, which consists entirely of U17s, faced Stockport away in the BCS North West division today. League leaders Stockport College were yet to lose a game this season, that was until Myerscough handed them a 81-77 loss on their home court.

The young side put on an impressive display of determination and intensity and came up with defensive stops at crucial moments. Today's win sees the 2nd team improve to 4-2. In the coming weeks they will face Loreto in the league and Oldham in the National BCS cup quarter final.

Myerscough dismantle Childwall in 51 point win

Myerscough's 51 point victory over Childwall saw their EABL record improve to 3-1. A hectic schedule of fixtures over the coming weeks will see them host league leaders Tyne Met in what will be their first league game with home advantage, whilst a clash with rivals Loreto College is also upcoming. 

The visitors came out firing in the opening quarter, however their early defensive play left plenty to be desired as they conceded 17 points. Chris Bwana and Emmanuel Kabengele combined to score 14 of Myerscough's 26 second quarter points, giving them a 22 point lead heading into halftime. 

Myerscough caught fire in the third quarter, converting on 73.7% of their 19 field goal attempts. Their deadly efficient shooting, coupled with vastly improved defensive play, saw the guests outscore Childwall 31-9 in the quarter. 

Despite a lapse in defensive execution in the final period, Myerscough kept firing and came away with a 111-60 win. Emmanuel Kabengele led the way with a 19 point, 10 rebound double-double whilst Andre Gayle put on an impressive display of versatility with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. 

Other notable performers included; Trevor Samuel (19 points, 5 rebounds ), James Harvey (11 points, 7 assists, 5 steals), Ryan Knowles (14 points, 7 rebounds). 

As a unit Myerscough shot 44.4% from the floor and 75% from the line in the game. They will look to improve on their poor outside shooting (22.2%) and their alarming turnover rate as they face league leaders Tyne Met at home next week.  

The academy's second team ran out to a gigantic 109 point victory away at Holy Cross. Myerscough attacked relentlessly for the entire game and will look to carry forward momentum into next weeks clash with undefeated league leaders Stockport College.  

Nick McCarthy Interview

Inside MCBA (Myerscough College Basketball Academy) is a feature which will see the coaching staff at the academy contribute regular educational blog posts to the site. We will conduct introductory interviews with each member of the coaching staff which will be published in the coming weeks.

We spoke to the Academy's Sports Therapist Nick McCarthy about his background in the sport, his experience working in professional basketball and about his role here at Myerscough..

Nick working at the Jordan Brand Classic

When did you first begin playing basketball?

I first began playing during high school, probably around 12 years old. I was looking for an excuse to stop playing rugby and was told I had to play some sort of sport. A good friend of mine was already a good player and invited me to come down and train with him, I enjoyed it so much that I began to play basketball at every single opportunity I could. I continued to play through school and when I moved to the North West I began playing for Bolton U16/U18 national league whilst playing for Bolton men's team. I eventually played in the men's National league.



How and when did you decide to pursue a career in sports therapy?

I've always loved sports so it was always going to be in the sports industry I looked to create a career. Sadly my dream of professional basketball wasn't looking like it would be an option so I needed to find a way to stay involved in the sport I love. Initially I studied a sports science degree and found that the classes on anatomy and physiology and sports injury were ones I truly enjoyed and wanted to pursue. After researching sports therapy and working out exactly what the role included I decided that it was the right choice for me and a career path that I would really enjoy!

Can you tell us about your base of experience - where have you worked?

Initially I started out working voluntarily for the Midnight Madness summer basketball tour where I make great contacts with players and coaches up and down the country. Following that I got the job as head therapist of a non-league semi pro football team in Crosby, Liverpool where I developed a great understanding of another sport. In 2009 I was introduced to Coach Tony Garbelotto who hired me to work for the Mersey Tigers basketball team (BBL) where we enjoyed a fantastic few season and won the Trophy, League and Playoffs. I have enjoyed numerous other roles in basketball as well; including working for the 2010 GB u23's program in the summer, where we travelled to play Germany in a series of games. I have been Head therapist for the European Jordan Brand Classic, I have also worked briefly with the England u18 program and the North-West regional U17's. More recently I have worked with the England men's select team. Currently I'm in my second season as therapist for the Manchester Giants BBL team, and obviously here at the Myerscough Basketball Academy..

During your time working in professional basketball is there an individual who stands out as a model pro/role model?

The first name that springs to mind is Nate Reinking (former-GB International). He was a pleasure to work with. He was fully committed to excellence. He took no days off when it came to looking after his body and was very in tune with what his body was able to do at certain points so maximised his efficiency. He was a calm presence on the team and a real role model in the locker room to younger guys. Drew Sullivan stands out also as a good role model/professional. He's an excellent player but leads by example. He demanded excellence from everyone on the team and made the guys around him better.


What advice would you give to young players who aspire to work within pro basketball?

My best advise would be to network with as many people as possible. The basketball community reaches all round the world and knowing people can give you avenues to 100's of places. Secondly be known for your hard work, for going the extra mile and not skipping steps along the way! Hard work plus a talent is an unstoppable combination.


How did you end up at Myerscough?

I have worked with Coach Neal Hopkins for years in the BBL and we both have an appreciation for developing basketball in this country. When the the academy was formulated by Coach Hopkins it was a no-brainer that I would apply for the job at the college.


What does your role as sports therapist at the Academy encompass?

My role is to keep the guys healthy and on the court. I also have a role in the strength and conditioning; to ensure that as much as possible is done to screen the players and see if we can identify any warning signs that could lead to injury and reduce the chances of them occurring. When a player gets injured it's my responsibility to rehabilitate them and return them to full functional fitness again with minimal risk of reinjury and then ensure that their strength and conditioning allows them to develop further. I work closely with Coach Hopkins and the other coaches to ensure they are aware of issues and guard against anything that could be a detrimental factor to the athlete.

How do you feel the first term went?

The first term has been fantastic, and the guys on the program have been a credit to the college. It's been great to see the guys develop into smart basketball players and become great athletes at the same time. The sky is the limit for a lot of these guys.

Click on the image to read Nick's injury
prevention blog contribution

2013 review: Myerscough College Basketball Academy

SEPTEMBER

After 18 months of preparation , Myerscough College Basketball Academy was officially launched on the 9th September. 24 students and 5 coaching staff completed their first week at the academy with great success as everyone settled into the daily routine at the academy and got to know each other. The following Monday, Montana State University Head Coach Brad Huse visited the academy in what was the first visit by an NCAA Division 1 Head Coach to the country this season. Huse watched academy players practice and advised coaches on the development of individual players and the programme as a whole. 

- Interview with Brad Huse

- Interview with Neal Hopkins

In their first taste of outside competition, Myerscough lost 75-50 away to Loreto College on the 25th September. Click here to read the EABL match report

OCTOBER 

This blog was launched on the 21st October! 

In their second EABL fixture, Myerscough took down local rivals Preston College in a closely contested game. Andre Gayle scored 32 points. Click here to read our match report

NOVEMBER 

Two weeks after beating Preston College in the EABL, Myerscough faced their local rivals once again in the opening round of the BCS Cup. It took a 25 point effort from Montel Dennis for Myerscough to scrape a 77-74 win away in Preston.

Click here to read our match report

Myerscough lost to a resurgent Preston College side in the semi-finals of the regional BCS tournament later in November. Myerscough host Preston in an EABL match-up in March, this will be the fourth and final time these two teams meet in the regular season. 

On the 17th November academy players Chris Bwana and Andre Gayle were awarded their first meaningful minutes in the BBL as the Manchester Giants dismantled the lowly Surrey Heat at Wright Robinson College. Click here to read our match report - Manchester talent shines through as Giants bounce back

After beating Preston in the first round of the BCS Cup, Myerscough were unable to advance further as they suffered a heavy 83-68 loss at the hands of a dominant Tyne Met side who put on an outside shooting clinic/ 

Click here to read our match report

Academy players enjoyed a trip to MediaCity UK in late November to watch a new series of a Question of Sport being recorded

DECEMBER 

On December 4th, Myerscough travelled to Newcastle for the second time in as many weeks to face Tyne Met. The visitors emerged victorious from a hard fought game which was neck and neck throughout. A key factor in the win was Myerscough's ability to shut down Tyne Met's top outside shooters and force them to look elsewhere for buckets. 

Neal Hopkins said of the victory; "I'm really happy with the guys, I can't see many team winning at Tyne Met - we had a game plan and it was stuck to. I have to praise the players for their maturity in this win, there will always be ways in which we can improve but today was a big step forward for us, it was great to see such a team effort"

Click here to read our match report 

Other competitions


-Our regional (BCS North West) / U17 team enter had a good start to the season, they picked up 4 wins across all competitions but suffered two disappointing losses to Loreto and Runshaw which they will be looking to avenge in 2014

-Myerscough enter the new year with a perfect 12-0 record in all MABL (Manchester Area Basketball League) competitions. 





Check out Head Coach Neal Hopkins' first blog post by clicking on the link below

The full package?

In his first blog, Academy Head Coach Neal Hopkins explores the psychology behind sporting performance and emphasises the importance of accountability in the development of young players

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL AT MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE BASKETBALL ACADEMY