GAVIN A NET GAIN FOR WOLVES
FAST-GROWING local basketball club Drogheda Wolves have turned to Belfast-based coach Gavin Garland to head up their senior men’s team for what they hope will be a debut season in the National League.
Today (Tuesday) is the deadline for applications for National League status for the 2020/21 campaign and the Wolves are among the clubs hoping to make the grade - part one of their fiveyear strategic plan which also includes elevating their ladies team to the same level.
Last summer the town’s Bullets (men) and Sparks (ladies) merged to form this larger new club, which now has 25 teams across all age groups, including international players and an All-Ireland-winning Girls Under-16 squad.
The senior men were closing in on a Basketball NI Premier and North East League double this year, but despite topping both competitions with only a handful of games remaining they were left empty-handed when the season was scrapped a few weeks ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Garland’s appointment in succession to the very popular Gerald Kennedy (pictured below right) was confirmed in recent days and the Belfast native is excited about the prospect of working with such a strong group of players, although a little anxious by the likely effects of the long enforced break.
‘We would not be a major sport in the schools up north and it will be great to coach players who have a background in basketball from a young age,’ he told the Drogheda Independent.
‘Gerald is a great man and has a great presence, but I’d like to think I can bring my coaching fundamentals and build the boys up and bring a bit more intensity.
‘I think it’s going to be a totally different season because no one has ever had a six-month break and the big concern for me would be that break and getting them back up to top speed.
‘But there’s so much talent in the squad. They’ve dominated the NI Premier League and North East League and I think they could jump into the National League, adapt and learn quite quickly and get to a mid-table position right away.
‘They didn’t win the NI Premier and it’s a shame the league stopped, but they think they would have won that league. With one more win in the last four games no-one would have caught up with them and that’s the main thing.
‘They want to be playing at a higher level.’ Garland as a teenager, was him himayer, self a talented player but after twice e breaking his leg he turned to coaching at just 19 and went on to take Queens s of Belfast into the he Super being League, appointed beointed before as a developmentnt officer for Basketball NI.
Because of the Covid-19 restrictions, Garland is unlikely to meet the men’s squad in person for a number of weeks, but he’s already been impressed by their enthusiasm for what will be a challenging season, whether or not they are admitted to the National League.
‘We had a Zoom call on Thursday and I’m meeting the players separately now to talk about systems and see what position they play and would like to play and where they are mentally,’ he said. ‘ThatThat’ss the good thing - there’s plenty of ttime for stuff like thatthat. They decided eddecided thethey want to go traintraining for a third nignight, which is fabfabulous, and thethey’re very exexcited to get started. sta‘ ‘We have to follofollow the Sport IrelanIreland plan. No-concontact training will be allowallowed first, maybe in August, and I’m hoping contact will be in September because the plan is a November start date for the league.
‘There’s a five-year plan to go Super League and have a ladies team in the National League, but there’s a lot of work and funding involved [to achieve that].’
Garland’s appointment means the end of Kennedy’s tremendously successful reign as senior men’s coach, the highlight of which was reaching the National Intermediate Cup Final for the first time, and there’s no doubt he’s left a great platform to build on.
Wolves chairman Jim Agnew thanked ‘Coach G’ for his great contribution and said it was a very tough decision to part company with him, but added:
‘I am delighted that a coach with the talent and experience of Gavin Garland will be joining Drogheda Wolves as men’s team coach.
‘There is a real buzz around the club at this news. Gavin’s knowledge and passion for the game shines through in every conversation.
‘I feel sure his leadership and professionalism will bring benefits at every level of our basketball club. We have a lot of talented young players coming through, including several internationals, and I look forward to watching them blossom with their home-town club under Gavin’s guidance.’
Executive committee member Barbara Kelly added that the entire club is excited at the prospect of achieving one of its goals by entering a senior team into National League competition, with the same target set for their women’s team in the next few years.
Director of coaching Maeve Coleman says she’s looking forward to the time when Covid-19 protocols will allow coaches get back to working with their teams. Coach development and recruitment is a huge focus for Wolves, and she is delighted at the number of children who are starting on their coaching careers as a result of the Transition Year programme the club has implemented.