STARS FITNESS SESSION 1

MONDAY JUNE 9TH 2014

STARS Squad members took part in their first fitness testing session at the Gordon Banks Sports Centre.  Matt Berrisford, Sports Scientist for the Academy of Sport, took the group through a series of physical tests to identify strengths and weaknesses within each athlete.

The tests were: Agility T test, Balance test, Ball throw co-ordination, Hand grip strength, Back strength dynamometer, Sit and Reach flexibility test.

The Squad members were very competitive, as to be expected with elite performers.  It was interesting to observe the differences in performance depending on the sport that the Squad member takes part in and the test being performed.  Liam was the only Year 10 squad member, as shown by the results.

 

Top Performances were:
Handgrip  Liam Zwetschnikow  43
Agility T test  Liam Zwetschnikow  9.88 secs
Sit and Reach  Seamus Derbyshire  41 cm
Ball throw  Liam Zwetschnikow  36
Balance test  Lauren Finney   23.75 secs
Back strength  Liam Zwetschnikow  180

 

The squad also had a tour of the Fitness Suite which will be available to all STARS squad members for free when they reach 16 years of age.

The next session is Monday July 7th at 4.30 pm - 5.00 pm to undergo some testing in the Sports Science Lab.

Ian Woosnam answers future golfer’s questions at college Open Event

Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC) will be opening its doors on Wednesday 13 June, 6pm – 8pm to aspiring young golfers where the former Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam will be in the hot set answering course-related questions.

 

The College’s multi-award-winning Academy of Sport has entered into an exciting partnership with world famous golfer Woosnam. A new golf academy is to be created where students will study a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sports Performance and Excellence whilst receiving expert guidance in the golf industry disciplines.

 

Trevor Humphreys, Academy of Sport Manager said: “We urge anyone who is leaving school this summer and has a passion for golf to come to the College where they can receive more information and even apply for the course on the evening.” 

 

The Ian Woosnam Golf Academy is recruiting now for September and will be based at Newcastle-under-Lyme College and Malkins Bank Golf Club. Its ultimate aim is to find the next generation of top golf professionals.

 

Students will study a Diploma in Sports Performance and Excellence qualification (which can attract UCAS points where a student wants to progress to university), and enjoy access to competitive tours, employment opportunities, scholarships, psychology, nutrition, physiotherapy and conditioning training, along side expert guidance in the golf industry disciplines.

NULC Ladies Basketball Squad finish undefeated!!

Undefeated all season, NULC’s ladies basketball team set the standard of playing high from when the league first started. Beating Birmingham Met’s at home would seal the title for the team who was only put together this year.

Following on and keeping the basketball name in credit, the newly formed ladies team had a lot of pressure on them in regards to maintaining training standards and playing. Through pre-season training, the newly formed team learned the basic fundamentals of play and had to work their way from the very bottom, this would prove hard but by patient coaching and team work they pulled through.

The team would face a tough challenge in the first match ever as they found themselves up against Birmingham Met’s, the title holders and dominators of basketball. This would soon change and NULC would push them to their limits, putting themselves in the lead for the first quarter. During the second and third quarter, NULC would drop the heat allowing Birmingham to bring back points and eventually take the lead. With only the fourth quarter left NULC did not want to lose! They fought hard as a team and with the final minutes to go it was nail biting for the coaches to watch. Hard work paid off as NULC would take the lead by only 2 baskets. From this moment on NULC’s bond was stronger than ever and they knew that they could achieve success in this forthcoming season.

With a strong start and stating of presence in the basketball league, NULC ladies would go on to win every other game in the league, and before they knew it they had to face Birmingham Mets again to seal the league title. Getting this far for the ladies had been a rocky ride, however they always pulled through. With goals set and the strive for success the ladies were not giving in until the league title was theirs. With the home court advantage and the fans behind them what better way to win, they didn’t only win by a couple of baskets, they defeated the former champions and won 42:28.

“NULC ladies now have to train harder than ever to create even more success. Nothing could stop the ladies winning the league as they were in front by goal difference by a staggering 62 points. However now they need to push themselves to climb up the basketball ladder.”

Every player should be proud of themselves for their achievement, and for them to do this all in their first year of playing together as a team, and for the first year ladies basketball has ran at NULC, this has to show for something.

All they can do is develop further as players and a team, and see what they can do in the forthcoming season, they will always put up a fight in any oncoming challenge they have to face!!

Winners of BCS West Midlands Division 1 Ladies Basketball.

 

 

British Colleges Sport Update

Dear Colleagues

Please find attached the latest BCS national newsletter (May 2014 - Issue 21). This issue of ‘Your BCS’ is a College Sport Week special covering all the information from the event from the conferences, national finals, gala dinner and awards ceremonies.   

 

Further copies can be downloaded from our website http://www.bcsport.org/resources.aspx.

Men's Volleyball Squad Win National Colleges Cup.

NUL College 2-0 Petroc

After winning the toss NUL chose to serve and started with some good serves from Joe Richardson to take an early lead which really set them tempo of the whole game. Petroc came back into the game but once some good passing from Cameron Rhodes and hits from Zakk Hadgett and Jordan Adelburgh Newcastle raced into the lead. Once Will Richardson saw a run of 8 serves becoming unanswerable from Petroc it was only a matter of time that Newcastle would take the first set 25-14. Again in the second set Newcastle started well but Petroc gathered some flow to keep a tight second set close up until the scores reached 14-14. Jordan Adelburgh then showed some class and experience in some great hits. Cameron Rhodes chipped in with some big winning points too. Newcastle reached 24 leaving Petroc behind on 18. A late rally from Petroc saw the scores 24-22 but the reliable Joe Richardson set up Connor Grimes for a lovely improvised winner that brought the game to an end at 25-22. A well deserved MVP went to captain Will Richardson who hit 6 winning points from a possible 6 sets and never gave Petroc a sniff with his relentless accurate serving. Some individual great performances today but an outstanding team performance from all players saw the national knock out cup brought back to NULC academy towers!

Newcastle-under-Lyme College Netball Triumph again!!

Unbeaten at home, what has been a fantastic season came to its conclusion in style with the last league match versus Cirencester on 30^th April.  A win would secure the NUL squad top spot in the BCS West Midlands 1^st Division for the first time since 2010/11?

Going into the Cirencester match, Hereford had temporarily pushed NUL off the top spot but, with a goal average better than theirs already, all we had to do was win - even if only by 1 goal!

Having convincingly won the game against Cirencester before Christmas we were confident but at the same time nervous.  After all, this was an away match, at an unknown venue, following a journey of 2.5 hours, against a team (Cirencester) who were finishing mid table and had nothing to lose.  Also with only 7 players from our 11-strong squad available, there were no substitutes to provide ‘fresh legs’ or cover possible injuries should it prove necessary.

Netball coaches, Carolyn Owen and Ami Pickerill, asked the players to go out hard from the start of the game to ensure a strong lead at the end of the first quarter, to concentrate on making the right decisions and to maintain their passing accuracy.

NUL won the first quarter by 8, the second quarter by 5 and the third by 7. This cushion of 20 goals gave us options to move players around and, despite drawing the last quarter 11 all, we won the game 53 v 33 maintaining the 20 goal margin and improving our goal difference and average even further.

Jess Barnes and Liv Stevenson maintained a high level of shooting accuracy with an average of around 70% throughout the match.  Centre court players Becky Hall, Molly Line and Charlotte Thompson provided attacking opportunities by adding pressure on their opponents to delay their play and force errors. Defenders Dom Ford-Gordon and Jas Darlington dominated the defensive third, creating turnovers by gaining possession through interceptions and rebounds. 

The best quote of the game came from Jas when, having been amazed by Jess Barnes’ manoeuvre in order to shoot closer to the post, saw the Cirencester Goal Shooter execute a similar move and loudly exclaimed “she’s just done a Jess!”.  Moments later, in an attempt to intercept, Dom at full speed could not stop herself from piggy-backing the Goal Attack – oh, for a camera J

To finish top of Division 1 is a great achievement and to do so with a squad of mainly first year students bodes well for next season. 

National Coach and Player of the Year for Knights!

 

Jamison Named Coach of the Year

The NULC Knights continue to pick up post season honours.
Head Basketball Coach Shawn Jamison has been named England Basketball Division 4 Midlands Coach of The Year. The American born play caller is in hi...s 3rd year as NULC Knights Head Basketball Coach.
This year Coach Jamison led the Knights to a Division Championship and 2 Semi Final appearances. The Knights also received automatic promotion to Division 3 this year by winning the England Basketball Division 4 Championship.
The former Harlem Globetrotter had this to say," Success happens when you have good people around you striving for the same common goal. This is what I had around me this year good people!! I hope that we made Newcastle under Lyme College proud and we as a team helped influence the youth in the city to get involved in this great sport that we call Basketball."

3rd year as NULC Knights Head Basketball Coach.
This year Coach Jamison led the Knights to a Division Championship and 2 Semi Final appearances. The Knights also received automatic promotion to Division 3 this year by winning the England Basketball Division 4 Championship. The former Harlem Globetrotter had this to say," Success happens when you have good people around you striving for the same common goal. This is what I had around me this year good people!! I hope that we made Newcastle under Lyme College proud and we as a team helped influence the youth in the city to get involved in this great sport that we call Basketball."

 

 

 

Jones Named Player Of The Year

The NULC Knights received news that one of its family members has been awarded England's Basketball Division 4 player of the year for the Midlands Conference.
Kieran Jones was voted in by EB and other coaches from around the Midlands Division.
Jones who is a Birmingham native is in his first year with NULC Knights had this to say, "This past year with Newcastle Under Lyme Knights Basketball team has been, by far the toughest and most eye opening year in my life as a basketball player to date.
Coach Jamison has dared me to challenge myself with every pass, every dribble, every shot and every decision I make.

He will accept nothing less from me and my team than 100% effort.
I guess his drive and determination to be the best is just rubbing off on us!"
Jones was the driving force on a Knights team that won a league championship and also made 2 semi-final appearances all in his first year.
Coach Jamison had this to say about Jones," He comes and puts in the work everyday. I am a very tough coach to play for but I think he now understands why I am so tough on him and all of my players."