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Hengrove Park Claim Double
What a great year for our new friends from Hengrove, winning the WEBBA Men’s League and Cup double.
This story will continue to grow and move forward as time passes……watch this space
WEBBA Women’s Invitational Cup
It was the first WEBBA Women’s Invitational Final, but it was the fourth time that Braves and FireStorm would be facing off against each other.
The game started slowly for both teams, I guess big match nerves, and half-time could not have come soon enough. The second half though was a different game and the energy that FireStorm hit the floor with was a game changer, and FireStorm never really looked like losing the game or momentum whatever Braves tried to throw at them.
Junior Girl’s Programme
Our girl’s programme has been established for over a decade and offers regular sessions and competition for girls of all ages (10 through to 18).
The programme has numerous coaches overseen by Storm Head Coach Steve Brocklehurst. Coaches include former juniors Pip Armitage, Whitney Thompson and Kimberley Kheing, and we look to confirm other coaches in the near future.
Recruitment for the 2018/19 season has started now and if you are interested then please do not hesitate in getting in touch, everyone is welcome.
WEBBA Invitational Cup – Pool Games
In the first tournament of its kind, and a real celebration of women’s basketball in the area, ten teams headed into the pool games at UWE on the late April weekend, the prize for the winners a place in the final at WISE on 13th May.
The pools
Pool A – Bath, Braves, Cardiff, Flyers, Mavericks
Pool B – Bristol Uni, Butedown Dragons, FireStorm, Flames, UWE
(Shortened games)
FireStorm started with a game against Bristol Uni, and it was a tight affair, but as you would expect for the first game of a long day neither team was really ‘on-fire’ and their were lots of misses, in the end though FireStorm made more shots and hung on for the win.
Second game of the day for FireStorm was against UWE and unlike the previous university, this game was very one sided and FireStorm cruised to a 25 – 6 win.
Game three was against local league rivals Flames but after initial resistance and a barrage of threes FireStorm opened up a lead and never looked back finishing 30 – 14.
Final game of the day and a win would secure a place in the final, and the game was against unknown team Butetown Dragons, it would prove to be the toughest game of the day, with Dragons initially managing to keep up with FireStorm’s scoring. To break clear FireStorm did something they hadn’t really done all day, they clamped down on defence and straight away the benefits were obvious and the game was won 27 – 19.
On to the final against winners of the other pool Braves (fourth time this season)
It was also key to note that today finally saw the return of Kimberley Kheing, after over a year out following ankle surgery, Kim was back on the floor – something everyone associated with Storm and basketball will have been please to see.
Estella Setting Standards
As the Bristol This Girl campaign goes from strength to strength, improving the access to sport and creating more options for women and girls, Storm’s Estella Maloney was selected to become one of the projects ambassadors.
Estella and the team of ambassadors will be seen touring the city with pop-up stands to increase the awareness of what is on offer for women and girls out there.
We have long been a big supporter of This Girl Can and we will continue to offer open sessions for all women and girls, whether you want to just role the ball out and have a laugh with your friends or play as competitively as you can we will do our best to cater for everyone.
Storming to the title
They did it.
After a long season the FireStorm team claimed the WEBBA League title with the only blip on the season an out of character defeat away to Swindon on a wet and windy Monday night.
The team finished the season with a 17 – 1 record, but very importantly for Coach also the best defensive record in the league.
‘We knew if we ran at teams for forty minutes we would have a good chance of winning, but we didnt want to just outscore people, we wanted to stop people from scoring and that mentality will definitely help the players grow when they move onto the next level, it is an old saying offence wins games but defence wins championships and our defence went a long way to securing the title for us.’ – Coach Brock
Having won the league title, FireStorm move onto the WEBBA Women’s Invitational Cup next month with the pool games at UWE, and then the Final at WISE in May.
England Return
Twelve weeks ago Kimberley Kheing rolled her ankle, but after the ‘normal’ two weeks the response had not been as good as usual, two weeks became four, four became six, and although obviously the player became frustrated she understood the long game and working with Storm’s Coaches Colbron & Brocklehurst and Bristol Physio’s Andy Howse.
It was tough for everyone to make the decision to shut her down for the season but we all understood at the end of the day she wanted to be ready and available for England, and it was our job to make sure that happened.
Rehabilitation was a long and sometimes lonely road, with lots of core work and swimming as a distraction, but it all proved worthwhile, because when England did come calling she was ready, and because Kim had maintained her fitness levels when she did step on the floor in Manchester for England she was able to compete.
The work continues over the summer, with the intention of being ready to lead Storm’s division one women in September.