Three years after basketball was introduced to Ashville College’s sports curriculum, its U18 team has been ranked in the top 16 nationally.
Just a few years ago, the sport was only played by a handful of international pupils during breaks and at weekends, but since the appointment in 2019 of former Philadelphia 76ers player Voise Winters as coach, it’s now a mainstream sport.
The College’s basketball programme was championed by Ashville’s tenth headmaster, Richard Marshall, an enthusiastic basketball player, who passed away in 2020, which last year saw the College’s U16 basketball team winning the Yorkshire County Cup.
The U18 squad is now competing at a national level in the AOC (Association of Colleges) National Basketball Cup, gaining wins against Wyke and Newcastle Eagles, the latter being the toughest match to date. Meanwhile the U16 team are yet to lose a match this season, having been victorious in all four of their matches.
And looking to hold on to their County Cup title, the team is now through to the last 16 in this year’s competition.
Meanwhile the girls’ team have been strong in training, meeting every Tuesday to practise their skills, while official fixtures are in the process of being arranged.
The successes of the various teams is credited to the motivational powers of Coach Winters, who has become known for his halftime speeches, which have proved to be crucial turning points in several games.
Coach Winters, who at the height of his career faced the legendary Michael Jordan on the court, said: “Basketball has progressed a huge amount during my time at Ashville, which has been really satisfying for me. The pupils have really embraced the sport, training hard and rapidly improving.
“A number of star players have emerged, such as Adam O, Lukas K and Carmichael R on the Senior team; Miles H, Olly G-M and Rory P who have led the U16 team; and Themis W who is one of the captains of the girls’ team.
“However, all the players have a huge amount to be proud of, and I am very excited for the future of basketball at Ashville.”
Categories: Ashville College School News
