Having clipped the wings of a well-organised Newcastle Eagles U14 79-42 the previous week, we knew that a trip to play arch rivals Sheffield Hatters would be more testing. It was. The challenge wasn’t made any easier when our opponents lovingly moved the tip-off time an hour forward to 11.00. This meant I had to set my alarm early enough for me to wake up almost before I went to sleep!

I mention this only because it provides me with an excuse for muddling up the numbers for our 5 starters – I was still half asleep! In yet another senior moment, I gave Elsa’s number as her usual 12 as we prepared to win the tip. It wasn’t and we didn’t. Elsa was #14. Maisie was #12 so she had to start and pretend to be a foot taller than she is for the briefest cameo appearance on record.

This did not influence our excellent start which resulted in a dominant 17-9 opening 10 minutes. We soon extended the lead which prompted me to be more liberal with substitutions than perhaps I should have been. Sheffield took advantage of this and our foul trouble to eventually shade what was a ‘close encounter of the second kind’ by a point at 13-14.

Their full court press had caused a few problems just before the break but with fewer changes for the majority of the third period these were easily overcome thanks to some smart thinking by our guards. We now controlled the tempo again and excellent team defence helped us push the margin up to 20 at one point.

Such a comfortable lead again presented me with the opportunity to share court time more equitably. Consequently, the fourth quarter was as even as any number which isn’t odd. It ended all square at 14-14 to give us a fully deserved 66-49 victory via a team performance which was as polished as my dining table. Sheffield’s only other defeat was at the hands of Birmingham who we play the week before and the week after the Christmas break in what look like being league deciders.

Sincere thanks to James, Annmarie and Lorna for their invaluable assistance and to those parents/grandparents who aqua-planed their way along the A57 Snake Pass which has more twists and turns in it than any Agatha Christie crime novel. The good news is we have to do it all again next Saturday when we are away to Sheffield’s U16s.

Report 1/2

Mystics U14 I’s basketball bonanza began, for some, with a non-national league game at Reddish for who ever which meant a number of our number would get number and number as the day progressed due to being part of in 3 games in 6 hours. Fortunately, those involved are as fit as fiddles and came through with flying colours. (To my chagrin, I have used two expressions there which make no sense to me. Is a fiddle any fitter than, say, a trumpet and has anyone ever seen colours fly?)

I digress, as I often do. Back to our first game, versus Lancashire Spinners (who sound far less fierce some than if they were named Lancashire Fast Bowlers. Our starting 5 of Adele, Christiana, Emmanuela, Darcie and Elsa is as well-balanced as an Olympic athlete performing on the beam. If they felt they had something to prove, they proved it in emphatic fashion in the opening 5 minutes. A breath taking burst resulted in an 18-2 lead. Just about everything this talented quintet served up was worth 3 Michelin stars.

The early introduction of Emmy Chichi, Maisie W and Alycia did not hinder the quality of the basketball on show as we dominated the first quarter 24-9. Olivia and Gabby then made cameo appearances early in the second period and both looked as sharp as new pencils. Although Spinners tightened up somewhat on defence and benefitted from being gifted a host of free throws, we pulled away further to go up 42-20 by half-time despite being in foul trouble.

Aside from the major contributions from our more established ‘Magnificent Seven,’ I was most gratified to have confirmed the faith I had in those who came off the end of the bench. The trust I have in their ability is far greater than that I witnessed when I saw a man who was teaching a friend to drive. He was evidently doubtful of the driver’s capabilities because he got into the passenger seat wearing a crash helmet!

Foul trouble did slow us down after the break (which was just as well because some of our fast breaks were in danger of incurring a speeding fine.) As an aside, which I wouldn’t mention if we had lost, a foul count of 21-5 against us, with no fouls at all called on our opponents in the entire second half (which is as likely to happen as me turning water into wine) is bewildering. It baffled me even more than the fact that Belgians have chosen to speak French when they don’t have to, why this country has only one Monopolies Commission or why any sane person supports Spurs!

With a lead as comfortable as a de luxe mattress, the second half was principally about trying to keep our noses in front while giving our less experienced team members a good run. And run well they all did to make this a genuine all-round team display against opposition who performed far better than the did in our pre-season friendlies against them. It was heart warming to discover that no less than 5 Mystics registering double figures. This makes thing far more problematic for opponents than facing a team with just one or two dominant scorers.

Obviously, there is much still to work on, particularly movement off the ball at both ends plus a tendency to over-dribble but early season signs are far more encouraging for us than they are for a local Premier League football outfit while they have Erik ten Excuses in charge!

Report two to follow as soon as I recover from word processers cramp and return home after my flu jab at 12.10.

Report 2/2

With the 12.30 fixture over, I had just enough time to dally with possible indigestion by hurriedly cramming a sandwich and an apple into my chops (not at the same time). The orange would have to wait until later. Up next were Liverpool U16s at 3.00. If I said the U14s were playing up, you would be forgiven for thinking they were being a nuisance. Far from it. James and I (not myself!) consider ourselves fortunate to have inherited such a delightful group of athletes (and parents).

Being faced with players who, in  some cases are 3 years older than 6 of our group and 2 years older than our ‘seniors,’ I was anxious that the u16 conference could be too demanding physically. If this encounter (which didn’t turn out to be either close or of the third kind with it being our first u16 fixture) is anything to go by, I should save any anxiety I may have for how difficult it is likely to be for me to cut my own toenails in years to come!

The early skirmishes did give the impression that the contest would be as tight as anyone from Leeds, Bradford, Hull or Halifax etc. (For anyone hailing from Yorkshire, every pound is a prisoner!) Tight that is, until Adele and Christiana found their Midas touch towards the end of the first quarter. With Elsa, Emmy and Darcie looking as impenetrable as Fort Knox on defence, we deservedly established a 21-11 lead.

Chichi (nearly a dance!) then came into her own at both ends of the court in the second period as she and Darcie took over as our main scorers. Special mention now also goes to Aila and Alycia for scrapping as hard as prize fighters on defence to help us go into the break 35-26.

I still didn’t have time to eat my orange but that was a small price to pay for a performance that was as impressive as the Taj Mahal (the palace in India, not the curry house in Rusholme!) On a slight downside, we were once again alleged to have done (by the same referee or by his twin brother?) more fouling than an untrained dog. This was to result in having to do without the highly valuable services of Christiana for a great deal of the second half. It would have been a much bigger deal had not Emmy stepped up so efficiently in the same role. (Position not ham or cheese.)

When a team has a decent lead, being more liberal with substitutions becomes easier. I’m pleased to report that our least experienced players in Morgan, Maisie I, Zoe and Aila all contributed positively in the second half. Maisie gave nothing away on defence. (Maybe she’s from Yorkshire?) Morgan finished proceedings with 2 nicely taken baskets. Zoe fitted in extremely well on offence to provide 3 assists for Chichi and Aila continued to contest every loose ball as if her life depended on it.

It would be remiss of me not to mention what an outstanding job Elsa did to curtail the genuine threat of Liverpool’s dangerous centre M Forsyth. All 11 Mystics who represented our club in this game echoed the achievement of a slightly different 11 in the u14 game in that they all played with skill, intensity and togetherness. The 68-38 victory in the second match was far more deserved than being shoved up into the House of Lords by some of our recent Prime Ministers without merit. Always good to end on a controversial note! 

Sincere thanks to Annmarie, Lorna and Mike plus our excellent table officials for all they did for us. Likewise, to our wonderful parents/potential assistant coaches for their magnificent support. Two u16 games next week- Leicester at home on Saturday and Derby away on Sunday. Please let us know of any unavailability as soon as possible.

During our first meeting at Belle Vue for the week-end get together, I stressed the need for it to be an enjoyable experience. Players perform better when they enjoy themselves and this was an occasion relatively few across the board are good enough to be involved in. Looking back now, being a group who are as obedient as a highly trained sheep dog, that’s exactly what all 15 of Mystics U14 1 did.

Having performed admirably all season, M1 (the team, not the motorway), we now faced the daunting task of competing with the cream of the south (sounds like a Scottish football team) in the form of Kingston Lions and then, possibly, Milton Keynes (Leg) Breakers. Would these two highly reputable teams rise to the top or curdle?

Fortunately, I was in possession of a lot of very useful information on Kingston from a close coaching friend. This had the potential to see us into another final if I composed an effective game plan. We went into the semi-final having prepared for their press, as well as having plans to nullify their talented left-handed guard and their rebounding potential. On first sight, it was immediately apparent they had a long line (literally) of tall players. I could either ask some of our team to play on stilts or ask them all to jump higher. As the stats show, we opted for the latter to win the battle of the boards 65-54.

For any young athlete, representing one’s club in a show piece event can be as nerve-racking as being forced to climb a mountain when you suffer from vertigo (which is not a star sign.) We were also playing on an unfamiliar court against one of the country’s top four sides. It was, therefore, understandable that we weren’t at our best in the initial stages. (To quote Winston Churchill, the man not the dog: ‘Only mediocre people are always at their best.’) Even so, we did enough to win the first quarter 21-14.

This helped calm the inevitable nerves of both players and parents. As when you are unfortunate enough to go on holiday to the very much mis-named Weston-super-Mare, I knew that better thing were on the horizon. They were. Similar to how a friend of mine takes his coffee, two dashes, one of 11-3 and one of 10-5, afforded us with a comfortable 20 point half-time lead.

I now had scope to be even more liberal with my substitutions and give our starters (3 of whom had rushed over having represented our u16s) a prolonged rest. To their great credit, those off the bench, as opposed to on the bench would would make them lawyers, played well enough and hard enough to extend our lead further. With the lead now a massive 32 points, I had scope to ensure that all 12 players had sufficient time to have an impact. As expected, with Kingston still playing the majority of their starters, including the excellent #33 who now cashed in big time, the lead was reduced down to 25 to leave us with an impressive 89-64 victory.

Predictably, Milton Keynes Breakers had broken down Sheffield to win the other semi-final. James and I (I, not myself!) had watched the game intently and had taken notes from which to formulate our game plan for the Final. It was evident we had to find ways to break their relentless, merciless full court press which had terrorised greater numbers than the Kray twins. They were generally considered to be firm favourites to be crowned as the 2023-24 National Champions by anyone who was unaware of how determined we all were for this not to happen. Our resolve was hardened further by the way they needlessly crushed our u14 II in the quarter final in April. Someone’s unbeaten record had to go. I had to devise a way for it to be theirs, not ours.

Our press break , although simple, worked a treat for all but the last couple of minutes. Their 2 guards had scored 27 points apiece in the semi by driving hard right in a straight line. Our plan to make them go left. In the event, this restricted both unbelievably well until tiredness set in during the last quarter.

In what was all set to be a titanic struggle, the question was who was it that would sink? There were no clues in the first quarter which had three lead changes. The first five minutes was owned by Mojan. For me, she is the best player for her age in the country and she certainly looked like it in the opening skirmishes. We led 12-10. Mojan scored 10 of those, shooting 5 from 7 two pointers. Milton Keynes subsequently did all they could to triple team her in and around the key so that all we could muster for the next five minute were an impressive 5/6 free throws from Anya and Mojan who had to sit out the last three minutes due to being called for two fouls. The second of these was when she was charged with a charge which, if I’d been in charge would have gone uncharged!

Two three pointers from our illustrious opponents, one of which thundered off the backboard with enough force to clean all of the dust on it, helped Milton Keynes (which could be a good name for a comedian?) steal the first quarter 17-18. I stressed the need for a positive start to the second period. More obedience from the girls manifested itself by way of a 13-4 five minute burst which was more explosive than the Gunpowder Plot. Akeala and Mya hit from medium range. More accurate free throws from William Tell and Robin Hood (aka Mojan and Anya) who were getting to the foul line regularly thanks to their positive drives to basket without any need for a chauffeur, plus phenomenal all-out effort from Tiana and cameo appearances from  two of our most improved players, Sophie O and Neeusha with an earlier one from Eniola, all contributed to a one point deficit turning into an 8 point advantage by half-time.

During the interval, I apologised to Lola, Alycia, Elsa and Adele for not being able to get them on court. There was no negative reaction from any of them and each one contributed by demonstrating what an awesome team spirit this team has from the bench. (The same can be said for the trio not involved- Sophie B, Fatima and Lola P.) They are all as responsible as anyone else for our successful season.)

Having effectively countered our opponents’ plan A, I full expected a change of approach from them. They would continue to press, despite it being as ineffective as my attempts to carry out any DIY task. ( For me, it’s Destroy It Yourself.) It came from two unexpected sources. Their # 9 and # 11 had featured as little as an extra in a block buster film in the semi-final and during the first half. To begin the third quarter, however, they became the star turns as their guards finally stopped trying to act as battering rams in vain attempts to smash their way through our excellent interior team defence. They now opted to pull up higher in the key and dish the ball to the weak side low post to score. And score they did, initially.

This prompted me to call a time out to offer up a solution which was acted upon to such good effect that it subsequently worked no better than a broken clock (which is only correct twice a day!) As a result, we increased our lead to 10 going into the crucial final stanza (which isn’t a variety of pizza.) Worryingly, we came out seemingly unprepared for the inevitable onslaught which was bound to be thrown at us. For a couple of minutes, it looked as though Breakers were firing rocket launchers at us while we were trying to respond by waving sparklers at them. Earlier than I would have liked, I called a time out after just three minutes to stop the bleeding.

A ten point lead had been whittled down to a dangerously close five. Understandably, the five players I’d felt the need to use almost exclusively against such challenging opponents, were experiencing a high degree of fatigue due to the enormous physical and mental effort they had put in. I asked each one if they needed to be rested in a ploy to get them to dig even deeper. Each of them declined the offer. I now requested that they go back on court and demonstrate that they had sufficient energy and ability to get the job done.

What a response. All five played out of their skins immediately after the lead had shrunk to 3. An almost super-human team effort, spurred on by fantastic support from the bench and our supporters, inspired an incredible 12-2 run which meant we went into the last 60 seconds 13 to the good. They scored to bring it down to 11 but I now let my heart rule my head by intending to get as many of the four players on court who had yet to appear at all. I brought two on. Then, through no fault of theirs, two quick baskets against us caused widespread panic in the crowd with one or two heart monitors doing overtime as we were now like a fizzy drink and 7 up. This obviously prevented me from bringing the  other two on but calm was instantly restored as Akeala, Mojan and Anya sealed the deal with late baskets to see us through 78-69.

Although we only trailed for 2 minutes 13 seconds in the whole encounter, a breakdown of just how tight each quarter was clearly demonstrates, unfortunately, how difficult it would have been to give all  12 Mystics reasonable court time. After the game and the wild celebrations which ensued, I apologised to the players and parents I failed to use in the game. They all appeared to accept this in good grace in the knowledge that our success wasn’t based on this one game. All 16 squad members are to be acknowledged and appreciated as having contributed in positive fashion.

Post-game, we then had an award I have never been a fan of and see little point to. Victories are achieved by teams, not one individual. We had 5 MVPs on the day and for it to be limited to just one player can be unnecessarily divisive and cause disagreement. All that really matters is that Manchester Mystics are the 2023-24 National Champions, not who should (or shouldn’t) be like David Beckham and have a golden ball. On the same tack, I have been fortunate enough to have 16 MVPs on our rosta. A huge thank you to them, their wonderfully cooperative parents for their unfailing support as well as to James and Louise over an unforgettable season. Congratulations team. You have achieved what we set out to accomplish. You are officially the best U14 girls team in England! 

best wishes

Jim

Following our comfortable victory over Conference side Stockport last Monday, we returned to the more competitive world of the Premier League to face our main rivals Sheffield Hatters. As we knew from the two previous contests against them, they are a strong, powerful, well-coached outfit who are ranked in the country’s top four at this level.

Without the blistering pace of Jane, the shooting prowess of Adele and the rebounding capability of Elsa, we needed to be at our best if we were to remain unbeaten. Sheffield is a city renowned for steel but on this occasion it was Manchester who showed its mettle!  Much of this was due to the make-up of our side which was as well-balanced as an expert tight-rope walker with all players on show capable of filling a variety of roles.

Despite the efforts of Sheffield’s excellent point guard and their size advantage, Mystics hard-working team defence and highly skilled offensive firepower enabled us to win all four quarters for a convincing 83-50 win. We now move on to the business end of the season with a home tie, on either 20 or 21 April, versus the team who finished fourth in the south, Sussex Storm. Will they be lightning quick or full of wind? I will endeavour to find out.

If we win that, next up will be either Kingston Lions or Lancashire Spinners on the first day of the Final Fours, 4 May. With 3 or 4 friendlies lined up in preparation, there remains plenty to play for, both for the team and individuals, as I finalise what I consider to be the most effective all-round combination of players likely to give us the best chance of success.

Thank you to my erudite assistant James, to all parents who gave lifts and their support as well as to Laura for standing in so seamlessly as team manager.

Just one training session, tonight at the Centre 5.30-7.30pm, before we all tuck in to our over-priced Easter eggs, after which we play Spinners away at 7.00pm on Thursday 4 April.