The FIMBA GB Forties had their final open training weekend before the squad announcements for the Masters World Cup in Croatia and European Championships in Italy.
The one day camp was split into a morning and afternoon session with individual player-coach meetings in the break.
After the usual opening speeches from the coaches, highlighting the expectations for the weekend, the team had a walkthrough of the offences to introduce the new players to them, so everyone was ready to go after the stretches and warmup.
The morning session focus was on offence, with various drills to hone understanding each others strengths on the court and making sure the right shot was taken. Highlighting spacing, positioning and off the ball movement, the level of play quickly improved as the session went on. When some “interesting” defensive tactics were employed, the offensive teams needed to read the court and make the right decisions, a drill that was a lot of fun and very productive.
A full court scrimmage then allowed the coaching team to look at specific matchups and team chemistry and seeing the morning’s work in practice.
There was a lot worked on in the morning and I am really pleased with how the team adapted to it and put what they’d learnt into action during the scrimmage
Coach Harrison
In the afternoon, the attention turned to defence. After explaining the main principles Coach Harrison wanted to see from his team, they were put through their paces in some high energy drills with the emphasis on speed, footwork and reaction.
The session finished with all the day’s learnings put into practice and despite tiredness setting in, the concentration levels and accuracy remained high. When the coaches started putting in various situationals to see how the teams reacted and changed their approach, the level elevated again, which is a testament to the team spirit within the group.
It was great being back on court with everyone, the team really stepped up to the demands of Coach Harrison and worked hard to learn the plays. Everyone pulled together and helped each other better themselves. I couldn’t be prouder of their effort and by working together, I am sure we have made selection very difficult for the coaching team.
Charlie Lauder – Captain
The final teams for Croatia and Italy will be announced next week ahead of the final session of 2023 and the Christmas social.
