Great to get back on Mayo's basketball courts!
by John Melvin
BASKETBALL players, coaches, referees and, in particular, the schools of Mayo breathed a sigh of relief when the sport finally got the green light from the government to go-ahead following a break of over 18 months.
Since November it has really been a case of getting as many competitions played as possible, particularly the schools cup and leagues which are currently coming to a conclusion.
Mayo schools are going particularly well, with the Under 16 boys and Under 19 girls from St. Louis Community School, Kiltimagh, chasing an All-Ireland cup double in the finals which will be played in January.
St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Castlebar, are also going well too, with Siobhan Kilkenny coaching a very promising Under 16 girls team who have qualified for the regional league final.
The Under 19 girls were unlucky to lose out by a point to Castlerea in the semi-final of the regional league.
Gortnor Abbey's Under 19 boys, under the tutelage of Liam McHale, have a very good side and look set for league honours, while the Under 16 boys of St. Gerald's College, Castlebar, are also still in the chase for a league title despite losing the regional final to St. Louis, Kiltimagh.
Damien Lavelle from Belmullet is building for the future with two very promising schools teams and they are chasing league titles at Under 16 and Under 19 level.
International
Meanwhile, the Finn sisters, Dayna and Hazel, from Kiltimagh were on international duty with their country last month as Ireland put in some brave performances at Under 20 and senior level.
The senior women were playing some of the top European teams as they returned to the higher grade this season, and it is still very much a learning curve for these ladies but full credit to them, and to Dayna Finn, who put in some very useful performances against very tough opposition.
The same applies to the Under 20 girls, who found the going fairly tough, but again this is a side with a lot of potential and Hazel Finn continues to be one of the leading players on the team.
Underage
The Mayo underage clubs are up and running, with Ballina Braves, Ballina Pacers, Castelbar Comets, Kiltimagh Giants, Ballintubber, Castlebar, Charlestown, Crossmolina and Belmullet among the reteams that are competing in both boys and girls at Under 14 and Under 16 level, and hopefully we will see a lot action on the club scene in the new year.
Former Ballina senior men’s coach Terry Kennedy has also assembled a young Mayo team which is currently competing in a league that takes in teams from Donegal, Longford, Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim.
It is hoped that this will provide a platform for a return to National League basketball either next year or in 2023.