CLUB STATEMENT

Our Club secretary Shared thoughts on Social media.

''Sharing our Club Statement, I want to explain the personal side of this situation.

By July 2026, unforeseen circumstances meant that the coaches from the previous season had stepped away, leaving BC Wolves with just one active coach who is me.

The pressure was considerable. I seriously considered pausing our junior section and focusing on older players and senior teams because I could not see how I could keep everything going alone.

Thankfully, a few volunteers stepped forward and completed their first introductory coaching courses. I am grateful for their time and commitment. With their help, we are continuing junior basketball and rebuilding our teams. Even preparing for development leagues is a significant task at this stage, before considering the demands of A Division basketball.

As a minority-led club in Tyrone and Mid Ulster, we have consistently struggled to recruit enough junior players. We welcome children from every background and are still building links with local schools, sports clubs and community organisations.

We have completed only three full seasons of junior basketball. With limited numbers, much of my coaching has focused on individual development by helping players progress towards opportunities such as TEAMNI, while also giving beginners and social players meaningful playing time.

I am proud of what our players have achieved. However, individual success and previous results do not tell the whole story about the experience, numbers and coaching support within our current squads.

An unsuitable league placement could affect much more than results. It could affect players’ confidence and enjoyment, put additional pressure on volunteers and make it harder to keep children involved in basketball.

For me, development means helping children learn the fundamentals, enjoy belonging to a team and progress at a suitable pace. That takes coaching, appropriate competition and consistent support over several years.

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My biggest question is: what should a basketball development pathway from age 8 to 18 look like in areas such as ours, and how can smaller clubs receive the support needed to make it work?

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Our appeal has been submitted, and we will allow that process to take its course. I am sharing this to explain the circumstances behind our request and why it matters so much to us.

Thank you to our volunteers, families and players for helping us continue building basketball in our community. 💙🖤

@followers Basketball NI See less''