U-14 programme integral to U-16s title success, says Calabar coach
FOLLOWING CALABAR High’s Under-16 team’s thrilling 55-46 victory over the more fancied St George’s College in Thursday’s deciding game three of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) basketball tournament, Ludlow Barker, assistant coach of the team, revealed that a solid Under-14 programme is the key to their success.
“At Calabar, our Under-14 level is the learning phase, as we don’t normally worry about winning. These young men came through the Under-14 and had some success, but they didn’t win the big one. Our big man, Antoine Day, was the one that stood out and decided that we had unfinished business and really stepped up to lead this team,” he stated.
According to Barker, Calabar’s 2-1 victory over St George’s College wouldn’t come as a major surprise to those inside the inner circle, as he credits the school community for developing champions on and off the basketball court. He added that students, upon their arrival at the Red Hills Road-based institution, are taught the storied history of the school’s basketball programme.
“Usually, they aren’t coming from basketball schools. So when they enter the school and walk past the court, which we call ‘The Den’, we tell them about the many championships which have been won there and, if they’re interested, then they can sign up. So, the entire school community is what drives us, because they allow the student-athletes to do well in the classroom and on the court,” Barker explained.
Owing to the fact that Jamaica’s schools league is relatively short on competitive games, coach Barker shared that he encourages his players to participate in summer leagues and join local clubs to enhance their basketball development.
“You don’t have a lot of games being played within the schools, as our school league is really short. Therefore, we try to accommodate as much competitive basketball, as we also have some players joining clubs and summer leagues that keep them active. We also host competitions to keep them active because, if they aren’t playing competitive matches then, we won’t improve the standard of basketball in Jamaica,” he stated.
In reflecting on the series, Barker shared that credit has to be given to the St George’s College team, as they threw everything they had at the Calabar team, who managed to withstand their efforts.
“It was extremely tough as they (St George’s College) never stopped and kept on trying and plugging away. We had to remain consistent and stay in control of our emotions,” Barker added.