IISSAC Basketball 2019 Boys Report

The boys had a fantastic, competitive weekend of basketball however were unable to bring a trophy back home. Despite coming back without a trophy, we, as a team, are able to walk away from a very enjoyable season with our heads held high. The progression we have made since the very first training session is phenomenal and furthermore, we have experienced a tremendous growth in our gameplay when comparing our performance in BSSA basketball to the more competitive and tougher competition: IISSAC. It is unfortunate that BSSA is not after IISSAC as we feel confident we could have truly challenged for the BSSA title.

The boys team were unable to record a single victory in the round robin however, as the tournament progressed, we continued to reflect on our performances and work on areas of weaknesses. The point deficit of our losses continued to decrease. For instance, in our first 3 games, the point deficit of our losses decreased from over 20 points to 10 points and then to 2 points highlighting the teams significant increase in ability to play basketball. The team ended up as the sixth seed and thus, faced the third seed in the quarter finals. The third seed was Bandung Intercultural School and having lost to them in the round robin by 20 points, we were able to record a well-deserved victory by overturning a 10 point score deficit in the first half to win by over 10 points by the end of the second half. The boys played with heart and passion, but most importantly, we played as a team, a cohesive unit that picked each other up and did everything for each other. This victory was a huge confidence booster for the team and we showed everyone that we could play basketball, regardless if we lost the games in the round robin. We showed that we could win when it mattered.

The team walked into the semi final against Bandung Alliance Intercultural School and played a very intense first half which largely consisted of a 2 point score deficit in favour of both teams. However, BAIS were ultimately the better team.

Despite being unable to progress into the finals and win the tournament we were able to achieve the goals the team set at the beginning of the season. The goals we set were as follows:

• To progress further into the tournament than last year
• To develop a greater understanding of the sport in comparison to last year
• To become a close-knit team that supported each other

Reflecting back on these goals, we can all agree that we have been able to achieve the aims we set out. We were able to progress further into the tournament as a result of us playing better basketball in comparison to last year’s performance, we learnt a lot about the game in regards to team plays and movement on the court, for instance, and lastly, we were able to walk away as a group of individuals that lose together, win together, support each other and pick each other up. As captain, I could not have asked for a better group of team players, who were genuinely passionate about the game and very helpful towards one another. Although I could not lead the team to victory, I was proud and honoured to captain such a dedicated and enthusiastic group of young individuals who have fantastic potential for the future.

Lastly, the boys team would like to thank our coaches Mr. Wood and Mr. Knudson for coaching the team and helping all of us to grow as athletes and basketball players. We could not have gotten to the point we reached without you and we are wholeheartedly grateful for your commitment to the team and bettering all of us as players. Thank you!

James Attwood