The FIMBA GB +40 & 45 Women were back on court in Leicester after their summer break as they hosted the first of two trials sessions for the 2025 international tournaments.
Fighting torrential rain and thunderstorms, players travelled from all 4 corners of Great Britain eager to impress the coaching team and book their place in the GB squad. After an opening speech from Coaches Harrison and Lauder where they set out the ambitions for the team, a good mix of new and returning players took to the court for an energetic and high tempo session.
Saturday started with some simple drills to warm up the bodies and basketball minds after a couple of months away, before becoming more complex, really pushing the players to show off their understanding, individual skills, work ethic and team spirit.
Towards the end of the session, the infamous “Stations” were introduced as the players were split into teams of 3 and having to complete some intense 1-minute drills aimed at pushing them to their limits. With their teammates pushing and encouraging them, the players excelled in all 4 stations, with some excellent scores across the board.
Saturday finished with some high quality games where the coaches mixed and matched player combinations to get an early feel for who works well together.
On Sunday, with more new faces joining, the focus switched to defence as Coach Harrison re-enforced the strength of this group. Again, the level was very high despite most players having never played together and the comradery between all the players was clear to see. Assistant Coach Lauder then took over for some rebounding skills and drills allowing Coach Harrison to see more of the movement, communication and positioning of the players.
The final hour was spent playing 10 minute games, focusing on the skills learnt over the past two days and putting them into live situations, with the skill level increasing with every game, despite the tiredness and fatigue.
After a tough two-day camp that pushed the players hard, the general sentiment was one of excitement about the journey ahead.
What an incredible two days. Despite there being so many news faces, the players fitted in immediately to the standards and ethos of FIMBA GB. This was the first step in our new journey, and the level is already significantly higher than where we started last year. The new players pushed the current players to be at their best and the current players inspired the new players to show their talent and be part of this amazing experience. When everyone leaves tired but with big smiles on their faces, we know we’ve done something right.
Bruce Lauder – Assistant Coach
The next open trials are again in Leicester on the weekend of 12/13th October. If you hold a British passport or are a British citizen, were born after 1975 and are interested in joining, please complete the online registration form by clicking here.
We look forward to welcoming you to the family.
