SPORT Basketball
The basketball programme embodied the current strategy of Change & Continuity. We wanted to continue to build the programme and maintain the high standards set in previous years, but with new personnel in key areas. The season kicked off with the first launch party in a few years because of Covid-19. It was a great start, bringing the basketball community together to reflect on last year’s successes and look ahead to the new season.
It was great watching the boys have fun with mates on a Friday night. As much as possible, we tried to accommodate boys’ requests to play alongside their friends. The benefits of this were exemplified by the Friday night Team of the Year, the School House Sixers. The members played with great enthusiasm and were always having fun. A special thanks to our staff managers who rode buses to Wharenui, stayed late at school on Friday nights, and drove themselves and the boys around the city so they could play basketball. NZCT GROCOTT TROPHY COMPETITION A new Canterbury Basketball Association junior competition, the NZCT Grocott Trophy, was introduced this year. For Years 9–10 boys, it is a precursor to the senior Thomson Trophy. Our Junior A team was entered in the Tuesday competition, along with two even teams – split into U15 Black and U15 White – playing on Saturdays. Despite
some big defeats in the Saturday competition, both teams finished mid-table – an awesome achievement. Meanwhile, the Junior A team played impressive basketball down the stretch to beat the No.2-ranked Cashmere High School in the semi- final and the top-ranked Hillmorton High School in the final to clinch victory and lift the Grocott Trophy. SATURDAY BASKETBALL The growth of the College basketball programme provided some challenges, with a limit of five College teams in total allowed to play in the Saturday U15 and U17 competitions despite College having seven school teams. As a result, Year 12 players who had already committed three years to the programme won the right to play on Saturdays. Year 9s played on Friday nights, with a move into the Saturday competition in 2024. Every effort was made to widen the competitive opportunities for the Year 9 players. A three-team tournament with St Andrew’s College and Hillmorton High School delivered a fun way to end the season. We look forward to the many new opportunities for our players with the opening of Upper West next year. In the U17 grades, College had three teams. The Grey team featured mainly Year 12 students who had played together previously. This chemistry showed up on the court and the boys played like the game was tied no matter the score. As their coach explained, they “... displayed a great example of brotherhood whenever a teammate would pull off a great move or accomplish something they were looking to improve”. Arguably the most competitive year group in 2023
FRIDAY NIGHT BASKETBALL
We had 11 teams in the Friday night social competition, including Year 9 teams the Bulls, Celtics, Lakers, and Cavs, the intermediate Sixers, Hornets, Suns, Spurs, and Raptors, and two senior teams, the Nets and the Kings. The Friday night games were played in good spirits, providing a valuable opportunity for dual- sport athletes who wanted to play basketball while focusing more on other sports, like rugby or football.
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