Myerscough duo get England nod

AASE athlete Ryan Knowles and our head sports therapist Nick McCarthy will be linking up with England's 'New Horizons' programme this Easter.

The New Horizons programme is a crucial part of England basketball's player pathway and is designed to focus on individual development as well as help prepare players for the next stage of their development.

Ryan having England experience already under his belt is greatly looking forward to the chance 'it's going to be great to get down to camp, I feel I have developed a lot this year at Myerscough and I'm looking forward to putting the hard work I've put in to practice'

Ryan originally from Warrington, made the move to Myerscough after playing for the highly successful Cheshire Wire basketball club and is the first of our students to join up with an England programme.

Nick McCarthy who has worked tirelessly this season in supporting all of our basketball academy athletes had this to say on his roll 'working as part of a national team is a dream come true for me and it's a real honour. The elite environment that England basketball is creating for its players at all age groups is a fantastic platform to work on'

Nick added 'I've been fortunate to work in a high level environment for a few years now, in particular working at Myerscough where we have some great players and elite level coaching staff making the transition to national team level a lot easier'

 

Course leader Neal Hopkins added this 'it is a fantastic opportunity for Ryan and Nick and I know they will do a great job, Ryan has improved significantly during the course of the year and should be proud of his selection - Nick is one of the very best at what he does, he deserves success for the work he puts in'

Nick and Ryan will be heading down to London for camp on the 10th and 11th of April.

 

Myerscough blow out Bradford in EABL

Myerscough College ran out to an easy victory on Wednesday afternoon as they blew away North Sea conference rivals Bradford College, boosting their league position ahead of some tough fixtures.

Myerscough punched out to a first quarter lead of 24 – 3 and there wasn’t any looking back as Bradford struggled to convert throughout the game.





Bradford opted for zone defence and had success in slowing down Myerscough’s half-court offense in spells but the lack of an offensive threat saw them go into the half with just 7 points to Myerscough’s 50.

A 19 point burst at the beginning of the third by Myerscough was enough to kill the game off and also saw the tempo slow.

The game ended 91 – 15 in favour of the home side, Trevor Samuel continued his fine form by splashing in 25 points and adding 8 boards whilst Montel Dennis added 15 points.

Coach Neal Hopkins had this to say after the game; "It was important to put in a decent performance today; Bradford sat in a zone and made it hard for us at times, I have to credit them for not giving up and playing hard for the full 40 minutes. It is going to be a tough few weeks for us now with some big fixtures and for sure we are looking forward to them'

Myerscough host Priestley next week and will look to build on their 7 - 1 record.

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

AASE Programme extends opportunity for basketball academy players

In June 2013, Myerscough College Basketball Academy received approval from England Basketball to run an AASE (Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence) programme in conjunction with parent club Manchester Giants. The college is one of just 17 AASE accredited institutions for basketball in the country and as a result they automatically qualified to compete in the newly formed EABL (Elite Academy Basketball League) in just their first year as a programme.

Six of the 23 first year students at the academy are part of the AASE programme, which is designed for athletes "who have the realistic potential to achieve excellence in their sport and are seeking to perform at the highest level as their main career goal". The student-athletes receive a minimum of 14 hours on-court training each week and also have access to expert strength and conditioning staff. Students will receive a Level 3 Diploma in Achieving Excellence in Sports Performance at the end of two years and also have the opportunity to complete several officiating and coaching qualifications. With the objective of supporting elite athletes in an educational environment, the AASE programme aims to provide exit routes into higher education or the sport industry for those players who do not make it as professionals - AASE works along side a students full time college qualification.

AASE athletes Chris Bwana and Ryan Knowles are both attending the initial England U18 training camp this weekend. Head Coach and Programme leader of the Myerscough College Basketball Academy Neal Hopkins commented "We are incredibly pleased to be able to offer prospective students the opportunity to be an AASE apprentice, the framework that AASE provides is exceptional and truly adds to our students academic and basketball experience whilst they are here at Myerscough. the AASE programme gives young athletes the ideal platform to not only improve on the court but also off it"

For more information on AASE please see the England Basketball website

Alternatively you can contact course leader Neal Hopkins nhopkins@myerscough.ac.uk