News 2006 / 2007

After four years in the clubs basketball programme as a player, Dorset Storm Under 18s vice-captain Dominic Stuart will take his basketball career in a new direction and join the team’s coaching staff as an assistant to the Under 16s (Cadet Boys), Storm announced today.

“What an exciting season this has been for Dominic,” said Under 16s Lead Coach Adam Cran. “After having been involved in an exciting season with the Under 18s, he is able to transition his career into coaching. This move allows him to remain with Storm where his commitment and passion for the game will continue to have a positive influence on the clubs organization and, most importantly the players.”

Stuart, who has played the last two seasons with the clubs Under 18s, was the only player in the team to start every game this season.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to continue to be a part of the team and organization. As I move on from playing youth basketball, I know I can still impact the team and am eager to learn under coach Cran,” Stuart said.

“We are pleased to add Dominic Stuart to our coaching staff,” said Cran. “Dom is a fierce competitor when he plays and he has proved himself as a capable coach in the local league. We feel his experience and personality is a good fit for our team.”

Stuart is no stranger to Cran, as they were on the same side together during the 2005 – 2006 season and Stuart has also played for Cran when he was an assistant coach last season.

“Dom and I have known each other for quite some time,” Cran said. “In appointing somebody, the first person that came to mind was Dom. I’ve seen him coach before and I can’t think of a better person to work with the team. I think he’s going to be a tremendous asset to the programme and I’m excited to be able to work with him again.”

“We're very fortunate to add a person of Dom’s calibre to our team,” said Under 16s Lead Coach Adam Cran. “Dom is a very hard worker who knows the game well.”

Stuart will be introduced to the players for the first time Thursday’s, as he and Cran continue their preparations for next season.

Cran Appointed as Under 16s Lead Coach

Dorset Storm officials have praised new Under 16s (Cadet Boys) Lead Coach Adam Cran as a no-nonsense guy who will command respect from players and tell them exactly what he expects. And, above all, get them to play some defence.

Cran, a seven-year Storm veteran who won multiple MVP awards for the club, is introduced as Dorset’s new Lead Coach. Cran was a player with a great understanding of the game to go with a gritty and hustling attitude - and said he will expect the same from his players on defence.

"That's going to be conveyed to our team," Cran said. "And quite frankly, if guys don't play defence, then I'm in a position to where they don't have to play."

Cran was promoted after spending this season as an assistant under the clubs Head Coach Luke Kemish. He came into coaching after a highly successful stint as a player for Dorset, where he picked up back to back MVP awards averaging over 20 points and eight rebounds over his last two seasons.

Given Cran’s relative inexperience at the time of his hiring, Cran knows there will be scepticism about the appointment.

"I know, maybe, in some people's minds, this has happened really fast and

undeservedly, and I'm only here to stand up and tell you that it's going to work," Cran said.

Cran said the days of offensive practice after offensive practice are over, asserting that playing defence is more about effort than talent.

"We need to practice defence a lot more. I don't necessarily buy into talent and defence being synonymous," Cran said.

"It isn't going to happen overnight," Cran said. "There's no grand promises, other than we're going to work hard and play all round good basketball so we can move in the right direction."

Just a quick note to confirm that the only training sessions that are not running over the Easter break are those on [Easter] Sunday 8th April. All other training sessions will remain on at the usual time and places.

Dorset Storm Under 18s take to the floor this weekend as they welcome Baglan Ballers to Rossmore Leisure Centre. Last time the teams met, Storm were blow-out winners. The team is more than aware that this time the match will be much tighter, with Baglan having some fine results so far in 2007. With schools being on half term, the team will have to cope with a number of absentees, which is added to by the still substantial injury list to which Louis Gibson looks set to join. There will be another change for this weeks match too, as lead coach Luke Kemish is absent; with assistant Adam Cran taking the reigns alongside veteran coach Jill Kemish.

Last time the two teams met, it was Oliver Robinson who led the way for Storm with an impressive haul of 18 points and 13 rebounds. It was the overall team contribution that was most impressive though, as the five players on the bench outscored the five starters. This time round however, with a substantially thinner looking bench, there will be pressure on both Robinson and captain Michael Livesey to step up with big performances. The importance of Robinson and Livesey cannot be under estimated with there consistent scoring and rebounding prowess, and their ability to aspire their team mates. The team will also be looking for several young players from the Under 16s squad to step-up once again.

For Storm, getting a win will be as important as the performance in this game. They have played well in a number of games this season and not been able to pull off the win so they will want to get back to winning ways before heading into the home straight of the season.

There is only one team in action this weekend as the Passerelle team head for the M4 and Cardiff. Coach Andrew McKenzie is this week skiing over the hill and will be unavailable for this weeks training sessions.

Despite being without their regular coach this week, the Under 15s will head into this weekends tournament knowing that their fate lies in their own hands. If they win one match then they are guaranteed second place in the conference and with it a place in the post-season play-offs, a feat that coach McKenzie could achieve twice in as many years! If they fail to win then the outcome of the final tournament (which they are not involved in) will decide whether or not their season will continue. Ahead of the match, there are now selection issues for coach McKenzie and he has already selected his team.

The first opponents for Storm to face are Cardiff Celts. The teams have met only once this season as Cardiff did not attend the first tournament of the season. Last time Storm ran out to an easy victory but, they will be aware that this time the will be playing a Cardiff team who is both on their home court and will not have played back-to-back matches.

The second match will see Storm take on the power house from Plymouth, Tamar Valley Cannons. So far this season, Storm and Tamar have been comfortably the top two teams in the league. Each times the two sides have matched up however, Tamar have walked away victorious, the last time by a very comfortable margin. It will be a big test for Storm to try and upset a very experienced Tamar team, but it will be important for them to compete as hard as they can as they try and prepare themselves for post-season action.

This week will see both the Cadet Boys and Junior Men in action, and both on the road. The Cadets face Guildford whilst the Junior Men make the trip to Torbay.

The Cadets game will see two sides battling to get into the play-offs meet at the ACS Cobham International School on Saturday afternoon. Both sides go into the game in relatively good form, with Guildford occupying the final play-off spot. Last time the two sides meet, back in November Guildford edged out to a 14 point victory. A lightning quick start to the match saw Guildford end the first quarter 24 – 8 up, a deficit that Storm could not overcome. Coach West has no obvious concerns ahead of the game and last weeks surprise win against Southampton has reignited the teams push for the post season.

The Junior Men meanwhile head off to Torbay, full of confidence having beaten Trailblazers by a comfortable margin the week before. It will be the second time that the teams have met this season with Torbay running out winners 93 – 77. Storm will be fully aware of what Torbay will bring to the game and will be looking to put in a better performance especially at the defensive end; fully aware that they cannot compete if they let teams score in the 90s. Coaches Kemish, Kemish and Cran have a multitude of selection issues and will be forced into making their first change to the starting line-up this season as Reece Barker will travel with the Cadet Boys. Despite having a slim lined squad, coach Jill Kemish is confident the players can put in a good performance:

“Since Christmas training has been excellent, the players look more comfortable with each other and are using their initiative a lot more.”

Next weekend, the only action will be for the Passerelle Under 15s who will travel to Cardiff to take on the Celts and Tamar Valley.

Coach Ferris is Back

Just a quick reminder Rosie Ferris will coaching on Saturday.

If you have any fees or camp deposits to hand in, please can you make sure that the money is in an envelope clearly marked with your name on it.

On Sunday 28th January, Storms Local League teams got their first run out of the year with a series of friendly matches. There was some really good basketball on display from the 50 plus players that took part. It was great to see the effort and hustle that was being put in at the defensive end of the court. With continued hard work at training the future looks bright.

Congratulations to everybody that took part and many thanks to the Under 18s who coached, table officiated and referred all day.

NBL Weekend Preview

This weekend sees Dorset Storms Under 16s and Under 18s National League Teams return home after experiencing mixed fortunes on the road last weekend. The Under 16s will face tough opposition as the entertain Taunton Tigers tipping-off at 1.30pm – the only team that they lost to during last season. The Under 18s will host Abingdon Eagles in the second match of the afternoon at Rossmore Leisure Centre that starts at 3.30pm.

Last weekend the Under 16s put in a “disappointing” performance as described by their coach Colin West who feels the team effort was not satisfactory. Going into the game with clear aims the team faltered after a good start and eventually allowed Abingdon to run out comfortable winners. A huge plus for the team was the debut performance of Matthew Webb who excelled at both ends of the court, adding some much needed toughness around the basket. Early foul trouble and not paying attention to details cost the team and coach West will be expecting much more from his chargers this weekend in what will be a tough match against a well drilled and physical Taunton side. More contributions from the supporting players will be needed and the ability to be strong and decisive attacking the basket at both ends of the court could result in an upset against the teams closest rivals last season.

In the second game of the day the Under 18s will be looking to build on their outstanding performance last weekend against Swindon Sonics. In a loud and hostile environment the team managed to keep their concentration throughout the entire 40 minutes. The game was close throughout with no more than a couple of baskets separating the sides during the whole contest. There were some impressive individual performances but undoubtedly the most impressive aspect was the complete team effort – all 12 players made a valuable contribution to the result. The success of the team has been based around their excellent defensive, an area of the game that has been emphasised to them since the start of the season and over the past couple of matches a real improvement has been seen. Storm will know what to expect as the teams met in the Under 16s league last year. It certainly promises to be a close contest – one that will be well worth watching so why not come down and support both Storm teams this weekend. You support will very much be appreciated by the players.

National League Preview

All three Dorset Storm National League teams will be in action this weekend, and they well all be on their travels too! On Saturday the Passerelle Boys make their shortest trip of the season to West Dorset and will take on Bridport Evolution as well as Team Gloster Meteors in a triangular tournament. While on Sunday, the Cadet Boys travel to Abingdon Eagles and the Junior Men visit Swindon Sonics.

The Passerelle Boys will be looking to close the gap on Team Gloster Meteors who currently sit top of the league in the Western Conference albeit through having played more games than anybody in the rest of the league. The opening tournament of the season saw the Passerelle Boys win both their games. There was a scare in the final quarter against Gloster when the free scoring Jonathon Baker fouled out, but Yung Kwok and Guy Taylor – ably supported by the rest of the team – saw Storm home. Coach McKensize has a full quota of player to select and will be looking for improvement at the defensive end of the court, which is an area the players have been working on in training over that past few weeks.

The Cadet Boys meanwhile make the longest trip of the weekend as they travel to Abingdon to take on the high flying Eagles. A disappointing performance last weekend saw them chasing the game against Plymouth throughout and despite a valiant fourth quarter effort in the end they fell just short. Coach West will be looking for an improved performance and has asked his team to show more aggression especially around the basket. The team knows that if they play their best then they are capable of beating anybody, but a total team effort is what is required. Coach West also hopes to add new signing Matthew Webb to his squad for the first time this season.

The Junior Men also hit the road on Sunday when they travel to Swindon. The Sonics sit two places above Dorset in what is a very tight league. In last weeks match after an outstanding first three quarters, Storm faulted in the final 10 minutes of play allowing Reading to take away the victory which was so nearly theirs. The match saw good performances from both Louis Gibson and Sam Grant who battled inside without the help of the ill Oliver Robinson. So far the Junior men have played well, indeed it is the feeling for both the players and coaches that they have had a chance to win each match they have played so far this season – pretty remarkable when you consider the average age of the team. The Under 18s will hope to have a full squad to select from for this match although naturally they will be without the Under 16s players who normally play up as the two games clash this weekend.

National League Preview (Sat 25th Nov)

Saturday sees the first double header of the season at Rossmore Leisure Centre as both Storms Cadet Boys and Junior Men’s teams are in action. The first match is a 1.30pm tip-off and sees the Cadet Boys take on Plymouth Raiders whilst the second match sees the Junior Men take on Reading Rockets, tipping-off at 3.30pm.

For the Cadet Boys, last week saw a confidence boosting 98 – 40 win against Bristol Academy. Jonathon Baker was the star of the show as he amassed an excellent 31 points in a variety of ways. Reece Barker has also been in good form as he leads the offence from the guard position. Defence will be the concern for Coach West as leaking cheap baskets has been an area of concern so far this season. Plymouth have had an uncharacteristically slow start to the season registering just one win so far. As Storm search for back to back wins the players will be fully aware that they cannot take their opponents lightly.

The second game sees the Junior Men play for the first time in three weeks, as their scheduled game for last week was cancelled as Gwent are no longer in the league. They will be looking to come out focused and full of energy so they can build on what has been an exceptionally promising start for a very young team. This year captain Michael Livesey has led from the front with two top class performances. Despite this, the performance of the team as a whole has been the reason for their success with nine different players recording double figure points in the opening three matches. Up tempo basketball with emphasis on playing pressure defensive will be key themes that the team will undoubtedly be looking to execute.

Both teams have a full selection of players – a rarity for the Junior Men who have in the last week welcomed back all their players from the injured list. Please come and support the teams in their first back to back home games of the season, everybody is welcome, so come on, cheer and shout for us!

National League Preview (4th/5th Nov)

Once again both the Cadet Boys and Junior Men will be in action this weekend. Both teams have had a fortnight to prepare as neither team saw any action in the last weekend in October. This weekend the teams face opposition that are new to the league in the form of Guilford Heat and Baglan Ballers.

First up is a home match for the Cadet Boys against Guilford. Although new to the league, Guilford have had a good start top their inaugural season – so far they have won one and lost one. In contrast the Storm Cadets have had by their own admissions a somewhat mixed start to the season. Their last match against Southampton Trailblazers was no exception as a good first half display was followed by a slow and sloppy second half performance. Coach West will be looking for tough defence and smart decisions at the offensive end from his team. He could also choose to give a first outing to Chris Carey who will add a new level of athleticism to the frontline.

The Junior Men are not in action until Sunday, when they face the 180 mile journey to Baglan. Baglan are yet to play a match and will be looking to make an impact on their debut in the National League. The Junior Men have started the season with two pleasing performances, despite the results going against them. In both games they have held the lead in the final quarter, but their ability to finish off games has been lacking. Coach Luke Kemish has had an extended period to work with his players and feels that the time has been well spent.

“We have had six good training sessions… the players feel more comfortable with what we are asking them to do – especially at the offensive end.”

However it will be at the defensive end that Storm will be looking to make an impact, and will undoubtedly want to play pressure defence from the opening tip. The coaching staff have already named their team and have chosen to give Luka Cavor his first outing after sitting out the last month injured. Luka will bring extra force and size to the guard department at the defensive end of the court. A couple of surprise admissions from the team are explained by coach Kemish who puts these exclusions down to a lack of manners from certain players.

“We want to work with those players that are totally committed – missing training sessions with no reason or communication just shows a lack of respect to your team mates.”

Any support for the Cadets match on Saturday will be greatly appreciated. Just come on down to Rossmore Leisure Centre, tip-off is at 1.30pm.

NBL Weekend Preview

This weekend sees both the Under 16s and Under 18s in action in the National Basketball League. The Under 18s will welcome Torbay Tigers to Rossmore Leisure Centre on Saturday, as they play their second match of the season. The Under 16s are not in action until Sunday when they visit Mountbatten School, Romsey to take on Southampton Trailblazers.

The Under 18s will be looking to improve on their unfortunate opening day defeat. The first 34 minutes of the match saw the game swing back and forth with neither team able to take real control. However, the next five minutes saw Storm loose all concentration allowing Trailblazers to score 20 points without reply and ultimately take the match 42 – 64. Lead coach Luke Kemish was happy with the defensive end of the court, but knows what needs to be learnt if the Under 18s are going to progress further this season.

“We started really well – our defensive effort was good and we slowed them down despite them having much more size and strength than us.

The Under 18s will know what they face when they take on Torbay. An aggressive defensive display and route one basketball will be the order of the day if, previous Torbay teams are anything to go by. The team will welcome back their captain Michael Livesey who will undoubtedly bring extra toughness and energy to the team along with his experience.

“We will be emphasising to the players the importance of being mentally strong for the whole 40 minutes. Once we handle that, who knows what we could do!”

The Under 16s meanwhile will be on the road as they take on Southampton Trailblazers. Lead coach Colin West is happy with the way things have started and despite the defeat last week to Tamar believes his team can perform much better. It would be fair to say that against Tamar, Storm could not hit a shot if their life depended upon it. Hopefully there will not be another poor shooting performance and they will be able to get back to winning ways as they did in the opening match of the season against Reading.

They will be looking for Peter Thomson to step up, after scoring heavily against Reading, including several key baskets down the stretch of the game he managed to score just three points against Tamar. As well as Thomson, captain Jamie Lines and Reece Barker will have to put in big performances but perhaps the most importantly will be the production of coach West’s bench. It is important that the other players step up and contribute it what ever way they can.

Dorset Storms Junior Men look forward to opening up their 2006-2007 campaign by visiting the closest team in their competition Southampton Trailblazers. Since the end of last season plenty of changes have been made to take the club forward. The Under 18s squad has been no exception with substantial changes seeing just two players returning from last year team. Despites the inexperience, the coaches are pleased that they will be able to spend the next two years with the same group of players.

The team improved over the pre-season period, developing their level of performance throughout against several different teams. As ever, the coaching staff have been busy evaluating those performances, but lead coach Luke Kemish is confident his team are becoming more familiar with what is required of them:

“We have had two weeks since our last pre-season game to work on several things. The players are beginning to understand what we are asking them to do, in terms of playing a running game and being hard nosed at the defensive end.

The team are aware that their captain Michael Livesey who takes over the reigns this season from his older brother, Steven will not be selected as he is away for the weekend. With out their most experienced on court player this first game will provide a chance for somebody else to step up and help out with the on court leadership which is so important for inexperienced teams. When the game gets underway this Sunday afternoon, Storm will be hoping that they can come out strong and start in the same fashion that the Under 16s did so well last week.

“We want a positive start - something that we can build on for the rest of the season. The result might not be crucial at this stage of the year but, we must start as we want to go on.”