Oaklands Basketball Academy wins 72-59 in new facilities

16 January 2013

Oaklands Boys’ Basketball Academy played their first game of the season in the College’s new state- of-the-art sports hall with a victory against Hackney Community College.

The College has developed academies to give students the best training to become elite sports men and women. A combination of professional coaching and academic study enables students the chance to become qualified and perfect their sporting talent. The new facilities now enable students to learn in a supportive college environment with some of the most up-to-date facilities in the region.

Oaklands College Coach, Michael Ball, said: “I have waited over 20 years to be able to train elite players in an elite environment. Now I can say that it has been well worth the wait and I hope that our students realise how much these facilities will help their development and continue to work hard every day to become the best they can be.”

Basketball Academy Captain, Ben Lawson, who has just returned from Belgium after being selected for the England U18 squad for the Altia Xmas Tournament, commented: “It was a new dawn for us playing our first ever game in these fantastic new facilities. The basketball court, new strength and conditioning gym and video analysis room gives us probably the best facilities in the country.

“I thought we started strong and despite moments when we went away from the game-plan it was great to see the team produce when it mattered and pull off our first ever win against Hackney.

“I am proud that I was a part of the first ever team to play in the new sports hall and hopefully it was the first win of many to come. For my own personal development and aspiration to reach my goal of a basketball scholarship to the USA, this is exactly the right place to be.”