Shaun Hoyle - Myerscough Basketball Tournament Organiser
After my amazing time at Myerscough I reached out to the man who organised the day. I wanted to know what kicked off the chain of events inspiring him to create this local tournament and where he sees the Under 12 basketball scene at the moment.
Shaun Hoyle is the man of the hour and here is what he had to say:
SIC: What were your thoughts when you decided to put together the tournament?
Shaun: Well, this is the third time we've held the Under 12's tournament. The first team to host was Blackpool, then the home team changes each time we hold the event. It's more of a group effort than a one-man show and next month we'll see the roles switch as the organising will be done by Ormskirk.
The thought that made it all connect for me is that that at an Under 12 level you don't have many options. You either train and don't get to play regular games or take it more seriously and go into National League and not every child wants to do that. The aim for myself and the other coaches was to create a platform for the kids that enjoy playing basketball without making them commit to a long season. This way they get to play and really have something to look forward to. Otherwise they lose interest in training with no competition - itâs like mucking out the horses and not getting to ride them.
As part of the tournament we agreed not to focus on winning. Instead, we talk a lot about playing as a team and having fun. It's more focused on becoming better people on and off the court.
SIC: How do you think this month's event played out?
Shaun: It went really well! I asked the kids if they had fun and all the responses were good. Three tournaments under our belt and the development has been high. One team went from winning 0 games to winning 2 and the atmosphere was in high spirits. Even when the MVP awards where handed out all the teams clapped and congratulated their teammates. It was all in good fun.
After our conversation, I got a good understanding of Shaun's own background in basketball. He started off playing for Preston before coaching for them in National League. He noted that though a lot of teams in the Northern region have folded in the past, basketball is still on the rise and it's tournaments like this that will carry it forward as a sport.
Once again, I would like to share my thanks to all the coaches from Blackpool, Preston, Ormskirk and Liverpool. I can't wait to see you all again at the next event.
WB
