Inter-Services Basketball 2023

The 9th of April 2023 saw the start of the Army Under-23’s basketball training camp

The camp would culminate in the InterServices Tournament where the Army team hoped to regain their title.

On arrival at Aldershot sport centre, we were greeted by the Army Basketball coaching staff and management, consisting of some new faces, including head coach Samuel Toluwase. He brings an extensive experience of the game, having previously played around the world and currently plays for one of the UK’s top teams.

Players had travelled from all over the country in the hope of being selected to the Army team and playing at the InterServices. Personnel had already been pre-selected by corps reps at numerous inter-corps and regiment competitions. The first event saw individuals being put through their paces (literally) with a bleep test. Along with a variety of other tests, this allowed the coaching staff to determine the physical standard of the group and assess everyone on the seven fundamentals of a basketball player: aerobic fitness, flexibility, strength, power, speed, body composition and agility. Training and assessment continued until the final squad was selected heading into the second week of the camp. Focus now shifted to practicing set plays and formations, as well as trialling players in specific positions in order to field the best possible team for the tournament.

We were also visited Orlan

Jackman, Commonwealth Games gold medal winner and current professional player for Worthing Thunder. Orlan has played at the top of the game in several countries and shared with us his experiences and advice on how to handle pressure at the very highest levels of performance.

The hype was building in the camp as the tournament approached, with everyone excited to be representing the Army. Not only had I been selected for the team, I also had the honour of being named as the team captain. Our first game was against the Royal Navy, where we put in a strong performance, winning 65-33. The team had all worked hard to achieve the victory and it was a great result for my first game as captain.

The second day saw us facing the RAF in the final. They had a clear height advantage, and we knew a tough game lay ahead. The game started slowly for both teams with few points being scored in the early stages. As the game progressed it became highly competitive with the teams separated by no more than four points at any time. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts we were narrowly defeated, losing by just three points. Although we were all disappointed with the outcome of the game, I was extremely proud of my team and their performance throughout the tournament.

The two weeks of training and the tournaments were very enjoyable; I made new friends and learnt new techniques and skills which will continue to develop my game in the future. The responsibility of being team captain also allowed me to develop my leadership, team management and inter-personal skills.

Airtpr Catterall

664 Sqn 4AAC