Basketballers honoured at annual awards night
A GREAT night for the Kerry Area Basketball Board last Friday at the Lee Strand Juvenile Presentations and Awards evening in the Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee as there was a huge show of support for this season winners with over 600 in attendance the night.
Chairperson Sharon Roche and Juvenile Secretary Trish Phillips thanked all for attending and thanked our main sponsors Lee Strand and their Market Manager Teresa Higgins Walker who attended on behalf of Lee Strand for their continued support.
Guests on the night assisting with the Presentation were Basketball Ireland U-17 Development Coach Liam Culloty and members of Tralee Warriors Super League team Pa McCarthy and Fergal O’Sullivan. As well as the Juvenile League Presentations the Club of the Year award was announced with St Brendans Tralee announced as this years recipients.
The Tralee club enjoyed a hugely successful season on the court, winning League and Cup titles at Academy, U-11, U-14, U-16, and Senior Men’s level, their boys represented Kerry at U-14 and U-16 in the All-Ireland Club Championships. The clubs U-16 boys also captured the Cork U-16 Boys Cup having competed in the Cork Area also this year.
The clubs tradition of organising tournaments continued and increased this year with juvenile Boys tournament successfully organised for U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-17 honouring prominent past members James Hobbert, Jimmy Curran, Eamon McCarthy and Bruddy Burrows as well as their well established annual Senior Men’s and Senior Women’s tournaments
St Brendans have supported and assisted the county board throughout the season as they hosted the development U-10 Blitz days on several occasion this season at the Moyderwell Gym and also the co-hosted of the recent All Ireland Club Championships in Tralee. The Clubs facilities in Tralee were made available to county teams for training throughout the new year for training of all teams.
The progressive clubs development has taken on a new direction this season with a new Academy girls team entering the KABB League and Cup competitions for the first time.
The clubs ties with the Warriors has provided huge rewards and further success at national level as Tralee Warriors saw them secure a second consecutive Champions Trophy in the Basketball Ireland Super League in another very successful season.
Their was a full schedule of Academy training for boys and girls and camps were organised throughout the year with their Super League star players supporting and this continues with their summer camps program being announced shortly.
St Brendans success is also shared in the community with their Special Needs training every thursdays and their on going support of local charities with MS & Inspire their nominated charities this year.
Overall a very busy and memorable season for all involved with the St Brendans club a very deserving winners of the Club of the year honour for 2018.