Lathaniel Bastian

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#BASED on his performance, Lathaniel Bastian felt he made an impression on the scouts at the All-American Junior College Basketball Showcase.

#The showcase took place from August 15-16 at the International Sports Arena in Stone Mountain, Georgia where Bastian was among a field of 80 elite basketball players in the west (used to be invited to our Vegas event) and the elite 80 players in the east.

#“It went very well. We had some of the best players in JUCO (Junior College) and a lot of people got to watch me perform,” said Bastian, who attends Trinity Valley College in Texas after his transfer from Rend Lake College in Illinois in January.

#“Playing against some of the top players in the nation gave me a lot of experience and what to expect when I get ready to play at the JUCO level next season.”

#At the showcase, the players were placed in one of the 19 groups of players.

#The first day, the showcase opened with about 10 players each, but the number dwindled to about seven on the last day.

#“It was better for us who showed up on day two because about every five minutes they had us switching in and out on the court playing,” said Bastian, a six-foot, eight-inch small forward.

#From his appearance at the showcase, the 2016 graduate of Doris Johnson High School, where he helped the Mystic Marlins under coach Denycko Bowles win the school’s first championship title, said he was able to see the weakness in his game, which was his jump shot.

#“I didn’t jump that much. I just drived the ball in to the rim and tried to be as productive as I could in the paint. I didn’t shoot that much as I usually do, but just being a big body, I know that I will have to improve on that aspect of my game if I want to play at the next level.”

#Talking about the next level, Bastian said he has to get prepared for his final season with Trinity Valley College where he feels he will now be under the microscope from those coaches who saw him perform in the showcase.

#“I know a lot of the big schools will be watching me, so I just have to produce now,” said Bastian of their season that is expected to get underway in January, depending on the outcome of the coronavirus pandemic.

#“I will be working on improving my game in every aspect so that I can be ready when I have to decide depending on the offers that I receive. There have been some schools already expressed an interest, but I have to wait and see what happen.”

#As far as the virus is concerned, Bastian said they are taking the necessary precautions on campus wearing their face masks, washing their hands and practicing the social distancing.

#“We can’t go into other dorms and stuff like that,” he noted.

#“Everybody is trying to play it smart and be safe around campus.”

#It was the same situation at the showcase where Bastian indicated that they had to have their temperatures checked before they could enter the arena, they had to wear their masks whenever they were not on the court playing and they had to remain at least 3-6 feet apart from each other.

#The showcase was designed for the players to play in front of a national audience on ESPN, CBS Sports and Rivals with NBA personnel and numerous other national media and scouting services on hand.

#Each player will be evaluated and considered for the 2021 JucoRecruiting.com Top 100 Rankings.

#Bastian said he’s grateful to God for providing him with the opportunity to be seen by the scouts and he also expressed his gratitude to his mother, Monique Jennings, who has been with him through his entire ordeal from making the transformation from the Bahamas to the United States.

MILLIE Vlasov and Beaumont M/V receive the 3rd place prize in the 1.15m Jumpers at Deauville, France.

As of Wednesday, August 26, 2020

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MARCUS Davis and El Porvenir Corro moved up to Grand Prix level at Angelstone, Ontario.

#BAHAMIAN show jumpers abroad are seizing the opportunity to shine in the ring, as equestrian event organisers worldwide begin to establish a “new normal” for showground competition after months of event cancellations due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

#For equestrians Marcus Davis, who trains in Canada, and Anna Camille Vlasov, who is currently based in France, it’s back to training and competing as usual.

#With equestrian competition on hold earlier this year due to Covid-19, Davis used his time out of the saddle to participate in social media campaigns to raise awareness for diversity in equestrian sport.

#He returned to competition in July, riding in his first Grand Prix competition. At the Angelstone Tournament in Ontario, Davis and his mount El Porvenir Corro put in two strong rounds in the 1.15m Jumpers to finish 5th out of a field of 22.

#Vlasov has been active on the European circuit since competitions resumed. Last week, in Deauville, France, she and her veteran equine partner Beaumont M/V placed 3rd out of 42 in the 1.15m class.

#While Vlasov noted that Beaumont is “in his retirement phase” and just “having fun winning”, she is very excited about her elite competitive prospects with her new mount, Etos HBC. At Deauville the pair had a clear round in the 1.30m class, finishing 24th out of 78 in a time of 74.21 seconds. Vlasov was enthusiastic about the performance, noting that Etos is a young horse and still has a lot to learn. “I’m so pleased with [his] progress,” she said. “Hopefully next show we can start the bigger classes.”

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#JORDAN Wilson and Shamar Burrows helped the Dalhousie Tigers claim their fifth AUS Conference title in the last six years and earned a spot in the U Sports National Championship.

#In a weekend filled with Bahamian talent on the floor for three different programmes, the Tigers emerged with a 76-64 win over Azaro Roker and the St Francis Xavier X-Men last night at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

#Roker finished with 12 points and a game high 13 rebounds for the X-Men. Wilson struggled from the field for much of the night (1-9 from the field) with two points and five rebounds while Burrows finished with four points, three rebounds and two assists.

#Dalhousie took an early 13-4 lead while StFX struggled with turnovers in the first quarter.

#The Tigers maintained a 24-16 lead at the end of the first.

#The X-Men limited the Tigers to just nine points in the second and closed the deficit to just one at the break (33-33). Dalhousie closed the third quarter on a 15-8 run to enter the fourth quarter clinging to a 58-52 lead.

#Roker scored the first basket of the fourth quarter for the X-Men but they went scoreless for nearly five minutes as the Tigers built a 10 point lead. After Nava made a three, Wilson muscled in a layup over Roker to regain a nine-point lead and the margin widened in the final minutes.

#Roker was named an AUS tournament All-Star.

#The AUS conference championships had a strong Bahamian presence with local players featured on three playoff teams.

#In addition to the aforementioned players in the final, Qyemah Gibson, Sebastian Gray and assistant coach Ollen Smith’s St Mary’s Huskies were also in the field.

#The fourth seeded Huskies, who finished the regular season at 11-9, defeated fifth seeded Memorial SeaHawks (8-12) in an 81-57 rout.

#Gray finished with seven points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots while Gibson added 15 points and six rebounds. They advanced to set up a meeting with the Tigers in the semi-final.

#Dalhousie emerged with an 84-64 win to advance to the final.

#Wilson finished with 13 points while Burrows added nine points and six rebounds.

#Gibson finished with 13 point and seven rebounds.

#St FX advanced with an 84-77 win over the UNB Reds in the second semi-final.

#Roker finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 7-10 from the field.

#The Tigers will advance to the U SPORTS championship March 5-8 in Ottawa, Canada.

#At the conclusion of the regular season, Roker was named a First Team All-Star while Gibson was named a Second Team All-Star.

#Roker, the fourth year forward, was one of only three players in the league to average a double double.

#He led the conference in rebounding at 13.2 per game and was second in scoring at 17.2 points per game. His numbers increased across the board in every statistical category from year three when he averaged 10 points per game and was a conference leader with 10 rebounds and two blocked shots per game.

#Gibson, in his second year with the Huskies, led the team in scoring and was seventh in the league in scoring at 15.4 points per game and eighth in rebounding at 6.5 rebounds per game.

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PALLBEARERS pose above during the graveside service for Leonard “Boston Blackie” Miller at Lakeview Cemetery. Photo: Athama Bowe

Monday, July 13, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#IT’S a pity that after all Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller did for the Bahamas as a national and international sporting icon in boxing and cycling and as a respected mentor, coach and philanthropist, he didn’t get what he deserved.

#Miller, 82, was laid to rest on Saturday in a Bahamian flag coloured casket and draped with a pair of boxing gloves as he was funeralised during a service at New Covenant Baptist Church before his remains were interned in Lakeview Memorial Gardens.

#In his eulogy, Pastor Dwight Ferguson of the Church of God of Prophecy, Elizabeth Estates, said he remembered when he attended Government High School, he was in Miller’s physical education class and he had a rather rough introduction.

#When he informed Miller of his lineage, Ferguson said he got a different type of treatment. Notwithstanding that, Ferguson said Miller left a legacy behind.

#“One thing I can say about Boston Blackie is that he cared,” Ferguson said. “While he was an ordinary man, he did some extraordinary things. It’s a pity that we have to wait until someone dies in order for us to celebrate them.

#“It’s shameful that we have to wait until death for us to say that we are going to do something for someone who has made an invaluable contribution to this country.”

#After 47 years as an independent nation, Ferguson called on the Bahamas to do better for a man who also displayed his skills as one of the top cyclists in the country, riding a bike with the skinny wheels and the bent handle.

#The sentiment was a mutual one as Members of Parliament Glenys Hanna-Martin and Marvin Dames, along with veteran journalist Fred Sturrup, all called for a more fitting tribute to be bestowed upon Miller posthumously.

#Sturrup, the president of the Bahamas Boxing Commission, said through his weekly column in the Nassau Guardian earlier this week, he called for an edifice or a street in the capital to be named in honour of Leonard ‘Boston Blackie’ Miller.

#As a close friend and confidant of Miller, Sturrup said he will constantly lobby for Miller’s name to be attached to some monument so that it could be viewed by all and sundry going forward.

#He said he hopes that the politicians will remember the pledge that they made to ensure that Miller is immortalised the way he should be.

#Dames, the MP for Mt Moriah, of which Yellow Elder, where Miller resided, is a part of it, said Miller had such an impact on this nation, but there’s nothing behind his name.

#“We in this country look up to politicians and when they move on, we just throw the accolades on them,” said Dames, who was a student of Government High when Miller was a member of the PE Department.

#“But you have three politicians in here today who would have been impacted by this man. Yes, we are in COVID period, but as I look through this room, there are men and women who have made significant contributions in this country and we forget them.”

#While he said Bahamians should not forget national heroes like Miller, he has some thoughts about how the country can remember him posthumously, but he won’t reveal it just yet.

#Hanna-Martin, the MP for Englerston and representative for the opposition Progressive Liberal Party, said she met Miller more than 40 years ago when they were both in the Ministry of Education.

#Hanna-Martin said while she knew him as an outstanding individual who was very humourous, charismatic and well respected, she was surprised at the level of contribution that Miller would have made to the country. “He’s been described as the greatest athlete of all time in this country,” she stated. “He grew up in the 1930s and became an iconic figure in this country. He helped to build this country with his own hands. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s not too late for us to raise up the legacy of this incredible Bahamian. To you, his family, he was a good man, but to our country, he was a great man.”

#It was an emotional time for Ellsworth Johnson, the MP for Yamacraw and Minister for Financial Services, Trade and Industry and Immigration, as he recalled how Miller took him under his wings and groomed him to become a boxer when he came from Cat Island.

#“I was introduced to this man by my father, Oscar Johnson,” he said. “He and my father had a relationship and so he protected me. He sacrificed so much to the detriment of his family.”

#Like him, Johnson said Miller impacted so many lives and people trusted him with their children because they didn’t have to worry about him abusing anyone.

#When I used to visit him, I used to cry because of what he meant to me as a person,” Johnson stated. “He always checked for children. You knew when someone meant you well. Mr Miller was that type of person.”

#Moderator Vincent Strachan, the president of the Bahamas Boxing Federation, throughout the service touched on the contribution that Miller made, not only in his life as a boxer, but others like Quincy ‘Thrill-A-Minute’ Pratt and ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Smith, whom he groomed out of the Boys Industrial School, now known as the Simpson Penn (Centre for Boys), to become some of the top professional boxers of their time.

#As a student, who grew up in the ghetto in Bain Town, Floyd Armbrister referred to the time when Miller came to his home and sat on their porch and told his mother that he was going to be great.

#Armbrister said while Miller had to go through the process of ensuring that he got all of his papers straight to become a physical education teacher after he was already in the public school system, he encouraged him to ensure that he did it the right way.

#Sure enough, after he graduated from CC Sweeting as one of their top distance runners, he got an athletic scholarship in 1986, got his degree and certification and he returned home and became the head coach of one of the most successful sporting programmes at CR Walker where the Knights shone with 22 track and field championships, 21 volleyball championships and 25 cross country championships. And in a video presentation, Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson said Miller was a teacher extraordinaire, coach, athlete, champion, disciplinary and Bahamian legend.

#In 1984 when she began her teaching career at CC Sweeting Jr, now TA Thompson, Wilson said she met and worked with Miller in the athletic department where they coached the Cobras together with Jennifer Dotson-Isaacs, Rodney Farquharson, Julie Wilson and Rupert Gardiner to produce a family oriented programme that won numerous titles in so many sports.

#She noted that because so many students came out of the ghetto areas of Bain Town and Rockcrusher, Miller used his own personal resources to help many of them to get through school and he didn’t ask for anything in return.

#Recalling another humourous side of Miller, one of his sons, Charles, said he would have joked: “All these ugly people here to see me? Man, I must have done something great.”

#Insisting that it was a beautiful audience in attendance to pay their last respects to their father, the younger Miller said ‘Boston Blackie’ was well loved and respected by most people that he came in contact with. He said the work ethic that was instilled in him by his parents, Marie Armbrister and Leonard Miller Sr and grandmother will certainly be carried over to the generation of Millers that he left behind to follow in his footsteps. One of those values is the love that was exhibited not only through them, but in the affection that he showed to his wife, Minerva, before she passed away last year. Among those in attendance were Wellington Miller, Quincy Pratt, Marvin Smith, Stevie ‘The Heat’ Larramore, Andre Seymour, Reno and George Johnson, Arthur Buchanan, Nathaniel Knowles, Fernley Palmer, George Turner, Alvin Sargent, Cassius Moss, Peter Gilcud and Martin Lundy.

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Following an executive board meeting, the Junior Baseball League of Nassau (JBLN) has decided to complete its 2020 season, albeit under social distancing guidelines and with the proper safety protocols in place.

FILE July 8, 2020

Sheldon Longley

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With the country now into phase five of the plan to reopen the economy, sporting activities are gradually on the return.

Following an executive board meeting last week, the Junior Baseball League of Nassau (JBLN) has decided to complete its 2020 season, albeit under social distancing guidelines and with the proper safety protocols in place. The league is the first to make such a decision in local sports in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

League president Jeffrey Walcott said it’s important that they keep their players active and get back to some state of normalcy, while respecting safety guidelines and procedures. As it stands now, they will start with a test run using junior and senior players, and then move into a phased opening in order to compete the season that has been on hold since the second week in March. Right now, there is no timeline for the games, but the test run is expected to take place this summer.

A meeting is set for July 18 with coaches, umpires and league officials, so that everyone can be brought up to speed on how the league intends to proceed with its 2020 season.

“We’re very excited. We will discuss what we need to do and what we need to have in place for the test run and then again for the resumption of the season,” said Walcott. “It’s important that we get back to some sense of normalcy but do it safely. Whenever the permission is given, we will start again. We believe we owe it to our players and spectators to complete the season. If it runs late into the year, then we will start the 2021 season a little later – everything will be parallel with completing the 2020 season,” he added.

Walcott said that fans will be allowed to the fields but under social distancing guidelines.

“What we will do is have a reduced schedule of games, so that there can’t be a huge gathering at any one time,” he said. “We cannot afford to have any level of overcrowding for obvious reasons. Physical distancing is important,” he stressed.

Usually, registration starts in September and the league’s draft takes place in October. That is followed by team practices and scrimmages, and then the season gets underway. Over the past few weeks, the Bahamas Baseball Association (BBA) has produced an extensive 10-page document detailing a safe and secured return to baseball and presented it to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. They are still awaiting a response on that document. Over 100 recommendations and items of consideration were put forth in the document by the COVID-19 Response Committee for baseball, inclusive of executives from JBLN and the Freedom Farm Baseball League (FFBL) along with BBA officials. That committee was chaired by Freedom Farm Senior Director and Commissioner Clarence ‘CJ’ McKenzie.

Committee member Shane Albury earlier said the document outlines prevention and safety methods and measures, and addresses all aspects of play on the field – pre-game, during the game and post-game. Included, he said, are social distancing measures; cleaning and sanitizing protocols, as it relates to equipment, stands and premises; and safety training for coaches, players, officials, volunteers, parents and concession stand workers.

Walcott said: “We will appoint health and safety officials to ensure that we adhere to all of the protocol as it relates to COVID-19 and follow the guidelines of the document. We are very concerned about health and safety but we want to get back some state of normalcy. There is no better way to do that than to get back to the field of dreams and do what we all enjoy – playing baseball. That’s very important for us and we’re looking forward to it.”

With the country being in phase five of the economic reopening plan, all restrictions on movement are lifted with the exception of it being during curfew hours – from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. Group training is allowed as long as it is done with social distancing in effect.

“We’re still waiting on the competent authority to give us the go ahead but we’re going to have all the protocols in place and get it right,” said Walcott. “We’re going to start the resumption of the season with a phased approach and that is going to be after we have a dry run this summer, where we’ll have the junior and senior boys come out and play games with the proper protocols in place – let them go through the motions of an actual game to see how it works. There are still things that we have to mitigate in terms of physical distancing and the only way that we could put the respective protocols in place is to have a dry run session.”

Walcott said they may have to make tweaks to how the games are organized and executed based on what happens during the test run.

“The idea is to go through all of the steps during the dry run, so that when we get back to the fields and resume the 2020 season, and also at the beginning of the 2021 season, we could make the necessary adjustments and tweak protocols if we have to do so,” said Walcott. “Once the competent authority gives us the OK to return to baseball activities, we will go ahead and put a schedule in place. The dry run is very important to us. We have to be able to learn from that and tweak certain things if we need to, so that protocols could be in place for the resumption of the 2020 season and we have a smooth transition back to regular baseball.”

The test run will only be for the juniors and seniors, 14-and-under (14U) and 16-and-under (16U). As for the phased opening, it would be done in such a way that caters to the older players first. The first phase will encompass players 13 and older (junior, senior and girls softball); the second phase will feature the nine to 12 year olds (minor and major); and the final phase will cater to the younger kids, eight and under (tee ball and coach pitch).

“The older players could appreciate what we are trying to implement and they understand it better, so we feel that it would be best to start with those two age groups and then transition to the others,” said Walcott.

Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) President Romell Knowles said that as long as they are following the safety protocols put in place by the Ministry of Health, they have their support and approval.

“I think it is a good thing to get the kids out of the house and practicing some outdoor activity, so that we could gradually get back to some type of normalcy,” said Knowles. “I’m sure that the leadership of JBLN is responsible enough to ensure that the health of their athletes and patrons is not compromised. That should be of paramount concern.”

Walcott is optimistic that the 2020 season will be completed by the end of the year, so they can then move gradually into the 2021 season. Baseball, in the country, has been stagnant since mid-March, due to the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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ANDRE MOSS, Vice President of the Bahamas Football Association

 July 14, 2020  

FN Sports Reporter Shayne Stubbs

Grand Bahama native Andre Moss serves not only as a Vice President of the Bahamas Football (soccer) Association (BFA), but he also serves as the Director of Women’s Football. 

Over the years national women’s soccer teams have seen a considerable amount of representation from Grand Bahamian players. The BFA credited that success to the hard work of coaches Donnie and Mary Knowles for their continued investment into girls’ soccer with the Girls Developmental Soccer League. 

Despite the BFA’s plans for Grand Bahama being delayed by Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19, Moss shared that they will ensure to do all they can to strengthen their relationship with Grand Bahama. 

“Believe it or not, 2020 is actually the year of women’s football in CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football). Before Hurricane Dorian plans were already made to make the trip over (here) to have a dialogue and begin to make sure to find out the needs (of Grand Bahama) and get things working more harmoniously between Grand Bahama and us in Nassau as a federation. 

“Now we got hit with COVID-19. Be that as it may, know that we’re going to do what we can. We’re still trying to do a number of things as far as making sure we engage a number of females into soccer and remove the stigma associated with it and make sure we grow the sport and make sure we show them the opportunities available for women in soccer.”

Moss shared that the BFA is hoping to launch their grassroots league once it is safe to do so. This would be in addition to other programs like futsal, which was introduced last summer, and beach soccer. They will also resume once the proper protocols are put in place. 

Being assigned his position as Director of Women’s Football Moss feels he is in a greater position to ensure that Grand Bahama is not forgotten. 

“What was interesting for me having actually been assigned this position is it gave me an opportunity to say that Grand Bahama is not forsaken or forgotten. You have a son of the soil and feel comfortable that leadership is taking steps to ensure we’re going to do what we can.

“As far as the women’s side of football, in CONCACAF we had a six-week webinar series where they discussed technology for training using Zoom platforms so even if we were on lockdown or limited curfew, we could still engage ourselves. 

“We also talked about the CONCACAF Under 20 women’s championship team and managing engagement and training during quarantine. So there’s a number of activities that we can still utilize using social media to engage our females in particular with one-on-one activities. 

“We just want to say we appreciate everything you’re doing here with women’s football. I’m going to continue reaching out to Mary and Donnie. We had a good long conversation when she was in Nassau and we’re going to make sure we can increase the numbers once everything is safe.”

For 25 years Donnie, Mary and other coaches have had a passion for women’s soccer. After the conversation they had with Moss, Coach Mary felt hopeful that Moss’ connection to Grand Bahama will indeed pay dividends.

“We’ve been doing this for 25 yeas, Donnie and I and other coaches. That was our passion and it’s been Donnie’s passion since I met him. So, I’m hoping that Moss being a son of the soil makes sure that mission continues. 

“But no matter what we’re going to continue here, Donnie and I, for Grand Bahama.” 

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Monday, July 13, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#BALLIN’ By Da Beach Basketball Camp may be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the organisation will ensure that its participants continue to benefit from its network of partners.

#BBDB, in conjunction with Global College Access, is scheduled to host its seventh annual “Student Summer Success Series” – sponsored by the University of the Ozarks. The series will include nightly Zoom sessions July 14-17 from 6pm to 8pm, featuring university presidents, athletic directors, coaches and college admissions leaders.

#Geared toward high school students, student-athletes, parents, coaches, guidance counsellors, and educational stakeholders, all sessions are free of charge.

#Sessions will include: Leading the Change through A Global Crisis; Executing The Change; The College Athlete and Coaching Through the Crisis and Expanding Opportunities for Student Success.

#“Under the theme, ‘Crucial Conversations in Higher Education: COVID-19 Threats and Opportunities,’ this year’s series will provide relevant insight into international college recruitment, admissions, enrolment and financing – but in an unprecedented way. From the comfort of their homes, scholars, parents and educational stakeholders in The Bahamas and within the Caribbean region will have access to the faces behind college and university mascots who are pioneering, leading change, creating new pathways and making crucial decisions to address the way forward,” the organisation said in a press release.

#“Hear from international college presidents as they speak about the process of navigating through a pandemic into a successful school year in the fall and beyond. Connect with international college vice-presidents and admissions directors as they discuss the evolving college admissions processes during a world crisis. Watch as college athletic directors and coaches tackle topics such as the notable changes in the recruitment process, social distancing on respective college campuses, how the ‘new normal’ will impact student athletes and other topics involving the expanding opportunities that some students and parents have not even considered.”

#Night three (The College Athlete and Coaching Through the Crisis) features several standout names in Bahamian coaching including Yolett McPhee-McCuin – Head Coach Ole Miss Women’s Basketball; Kimberley Rolle – Athletic Director of the University of the Bahamas Chris “Fireman” Brown – Olympic Gold Medallist and Head Track & Field Coach at Clayton State University; Edric Poitier, Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Florida State College at Jacksonville and Dr Stephany Coakley – Sports Psychologist and Associate Athletic Director/Mental Health at Temple University.

#Interested persons can register for the 2020 Student Summer Success Virtual Series and can visit studentsummersuccess.com

#“Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed extreme demands on leaders in almost every sector of the world with a considerable amount of uncertainty and apprehension pushing them into crisis mode. However, the true test of leadership is based on the response to the chaos and disruption; a response that unites people to propel an articulated mission and university leaders are no exception. The uncertain times of social distancing, quarantine, sanitizations and feelings of loss control and emotional instability demand a leadership change in behavior and mindset of calm and resilience to navigate its stakeholders throughout the epidemic,” they said, “We have sought to embrace this time to educate and challenge our participants as we embrace the challenge and threat of COVID-19: a way to create an even grander opportunity to connect students with higher education opportunities.”

#BBDB was created by Jurelle Mullings in 2010 when she saw a need to place a greater focus on the development of women’s basketball at the youth level. She is also the coordinator of the Student-Athlete Resources and Support (STARS) Programme in the Ministry of Education.

#Since 2010, the camp has featured hundreds of underserved, aspiring student athletes.

#In addition to the camp, the organization also hosts a Recruitment Exposure Showcase to aid aspiring players in their college recruitment process.

#“Our mission is to take a personal interest in every basketball player and coach to help them become game changers on and off the court. Our vision is to build a movement of passionate basketball players by delivering excellence through the game. Our vision inspires us in our daily work. We create a diverse, collaborative, encouraging environment where teamwork and openness are the cornerstones.”

#GCA was founded by Monique Hinsey, who specialises in college readiness and career consulting and also serves as the programme developer and coordinator, Public School Scholars Program (PSSP) program.

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Monday, July 13, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#COACH Jamal Smith liked what he saw in the reunion of guard Deyton Albury and forward Garreth Edgecombe at the Big Shots Myrtle Beach Tournament in South Carolina over the weekend.

#The two 18-year-olds, who are heading to two different prep schools in South Carolina, made their presence felt in the three games they played in so far for the Defenders.

#The Defenders won their opener 70-66 over the Dallas Seawolves on Thursday. Albury was the team’s second highest scorer with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Edgecombe added eight points.

#On Independence Day on Friday, the Defenders lost 70-66 to the Big Shots Elite Tri-Cities 17 as Edgecombe turned out to be the second highest scorer with 10 points. Albury was held to just eight.

#And in their third game on Saturday, the Defenders lost again (69-52) to the Flight 22 Elite UA Rise 17. Once again, Albury finished with eight and Edgecombe added three.

#Despite his numbers, Albury was named the Player of the Game in all three games.

#Smith, who reunited with both Albury and Edgecombe since he last coached them at Temple Christian about two years ago, said they performed very well.

#“Deyton had a couple of games where he matched up well against some division one players and he performed very well,” said Smith of Albury. “He took care of the ball and he showed that he is capable of playing at this level.

#“As for Garreth, he’s making the adjustment to the wing and he performed very well. All in all, I was very leased with the way they both played. They came in and gelled well with the team that we had in place.”

#The Defenders closed out play in the showcase on Sunday, but results were available. Smith said the good thing is that both Albury and Edgecombe got to display their skills to over 200 coaches, who got to live stream the event.

#This week, the Defenders will be participating in the National AAU Tournament that starts today at the same venue in Myrtle Beach. The Defenders first game will be played on Tuesday. The tournament will run through Sunday.

#Albury, a graduate of Sunrise Christian Academy, is looking to enroll in a Prep school before he decides on which college he will participate for next year.

#“We’re still trying to get the chemistry back, but individually the performances were good,” Albury said. “Every time I get a chance to play against the high level competition, I try to make the most out of it.”

#With an average of 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Albury said he was able to hold his own in the showcase. He noted that it was extra special doing it alongside Edgecombe.

#“We haven’t done it in a long time,” said Albury of Edgecombe, who transferred from Temple Christian to finish his high school at Galilee Academy. “Every time we get a chance to get on the court together, we play like we did before.

#“We still had the chemistry and we got to get each other involved in the offense, which was good for our team. We hope that we can continue to gel together for the rest of the summer in the tournaments ahead of us.”

Edit Post Edit with Elementor Switch to draft Preview(opens in a new tab) Update Add title A number of panelists are scheduled to speak during the four-day series Permalink: http://sportsinthebahamas.com/blog/2020/07/15/a-number-of-panelists-are-scheduled-to-speak-during-the-four-day-series/‎(opens in a new tab) Edit University of Bahamas (UB) Athletics Director Kimberley Rolle. July 15, 2020 Simba French 0153. Views The 7th Annual Student Summer Success Series kicked off Tuesday night via Zoom, and it continues this evening and tomorrow, featuring a number of collegiate coaches and leaders, including Bahamians, along with international athletic directors. They will be engaging in sessions about the process for student-athletes abroad and coaching through the new coronavirus crisis. The seminar will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the four-day series wraps up on Friday. On the panel for the student-athlete portion of the series are eight persons – five of whom are Bahamians. The Bahamian panelists are legendary athlete-turned-coach Chris Brown; Dr. Stephany Coakley; women’s basketball coach Yolett “Coach Yo” McPhee-McCuin; volleyball coach Edric Poitier; and University of The Bahamas (UB) Athletic Director (AD) Kimberley Rolle. Tara Owens, Shawn Trochim and Albert Roche are the only three panelists for that portion of the series who are not Bahamian. Poitier is head volleyball coach for the Florida State College at Jacksonville BlueWave. The BlueWave compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). “I am excited to be a part of the seminar. It gives me an opportunity to help our kids with some of the tools necessary to becoming a student-athlete,” Poitier said. Poitier coached The Bahamas senior men’s national volleyball team from 1992 to 1999, leading them to two gold and two silver medals at the Caribbean Volleyball Championships (CVC). Poitier said he plans to present on the advantages of considering a junior college as opposed to a four-year school. During this COVID-19 pandemic, he said, he has kept in touch with his team. As a result of the pandemic, a number of fall sports have been cancelled or the seasons have been shortened, including volleyball. Right here at home, UB AD Rolle is looking forward to being a part of the panel. “I am looking forward to the round table discussion because you have a number of persons throughout the United States, Canada and The Bahamas who will be participating and sharing ideas and insights,” she said. “This is an opportunity to learn from them as well as them from us about how we are managing during this pandemic and how best to stay student-centric. I think that it is going to be very interesting – to see what others bring to the table and to share and deliberate on those ideas. At the end of the day, the goal is to be able to provide the best experience for our student-athletes, given the conditions,” she added. As far as keeping her department motivated is concerned, Rolle said it is a daunting task because sports is physical in nature. In addition, she stated that they have a phased approach, which includes ensuring that student-athletes and staff are protected, as they take the necessary precautions in small, incremental steps. McPhee-McCuin is the head women’s basketball coach for University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels. She is the daughter of legendary Bahamian basketball Coach Gladstone “Moon” McPhee. The Rebels play in a tough Southeastern Conference (SEC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Brown is an Olympian and one of the most formidable Bahamian runners of all-time in the 400 meters (m). He is head coach of the track and field team at Clayton State University. The Clayton State Lakers compete in Division II of the NCAA. Coakley is the senior associate athletic director, and specializes in mental health, at Temple University, which competes in Division I in the NCAA. She will touch on the mental aspects of student-athletes. Poitier, Rolle, McPhee-McCuin and Brown were all former collegiate student-athletes. Roche is the AD at Holland College on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Owens is the AD at Central State University. Rounding out the eight panelists is Trochim, who has Bahamian roots. She is the AD at McLennan College. All three of these schools have a number of Bahamians on campus. Global College Access and Ballin’ by da Beach are uniting efforts, along with their sponsor, the University of the Ozarks, to put on the series for the four nights. High school students, student-athletes, parents, coaches, guidance counselors and educational stakeholders have a unique opportunity to connect with university presidents, athletic directors, coaches and college admissions leaders. The co-hosts are Global College Access’ Monique Hinsey and Ballin’ by da Beach’s Jurelle Mullings. “When selecting the panel, we definitely wanted to speak to leaders in the field. It was particularly important that we had Bahamian leaders in the field. They would be able to speak to the unique experiences of an international student-athlete not only from a coaching standpoint or athletic director standpoint but they were once student-athletes,” Mullings said. “I definitely wanted it to be a source of inspiration to our student-athletes, so they can know that even beyond your playing time, there is still opportunities for you and they get to talk to them first-hand.” In addition to the areas of discussion mentioned, Mullings said they will also be touching on what successful preparation for college looks like, pre- and post-COVID-19; what they can do to stand out and distinguish themselves, especially during this time when in-person recruiting is limited; and what universities are doing to prepare athletes for post-collegiate life. Mullings is also the co-ordinator of the Student-Athlete Resources and Support (STARS) Programme in the Ministry of Education. Tonight’s session, which starts at 6 p.m., will focus on “executing the change”, in which the panel will include representatives from the University of Ozarks, Johnson and Wales University, King’s University, the University of Central Arkansas, Saint Leo University and Georgia State University. The series will be held via Zoom nightly from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. To register for the virtual series, interested persons are asked to please visit the website studentsummersuccess.com.

dit with ElementorSwitch to draftPreview(opens in a new tab)UpdateAdd titlePermalink:http://sportsinthebahamas.com/blog/2020/07/15/albury-back-on-the-basketball-court/‎(opens in a new tab)Edit

July 15, 2020

Simba French

0183 Views

Bahamian junior national team standout Deyton Albury is back on the basketball court, having played in two Big Shots Tournaments in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA, this past weekend.

Albury suited up for the Defenders 2020 in the Big Shots Myrtle Beach 1 Tournament that was held July 9-10. He then played in the Big Shots Myrtle Beach 2 Tournament the following two days. The athletic guard suited up in the 17-and-under division.

Albury averaged 12 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the first tournament, and walked away with the player of the game award in two of the games he played in. In the first game on Thursday, he scored 11 points, pulled down eight rebounds and dished out six assists.

He finished the tournament on Sunday with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his final game, and won two more player of the game awards in the second tournament to bring his total to four in four days.

“It feels good. My mindset was just to represent God, myself, my country and my family to the best of my ability and this performance got me player of the game four times. It’s a blessed position to outplay a lot of high-level players and being named player of the game three times,” Albury said.

Over the four days, Albury played in six games. His team finished with a 1-2 win/loss record in the first tournament and an 0-3 record in the second tournament.

Nevertheless, he was happy to be back on the court doing what he loves doing.

“It feels good. Being quarantined for a whole two months isn’t healthy at all for a basketball player. I was itching to get back on the court. It’s a big relief just to be out there playing the game,” Albury said.

Albury spent the last school year at Sunrise Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. He is still undecided on where he will be next season.

Albury will play in three more tournaments over the next few weeks. That will give him between 15 to 20 games under his belt this summer. The Big Shots Tournaments get a lot of attention from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I coaches and scouts.

Last month, the Bahamian was set to help The Bahamas’ junior national team battle in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Americas Under-18 Championship. However, that was pushed back to a later date, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.