Youngsters motivated by FIBA Qualifiers in Kingston

Though the JamRockers failed to secure victory on home soil during the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifiers, they have still left a positive impact on younger local players.

Jamaica College under-16 basketball player Cordell Walters said he is motivated to be a member of the national team one day.

"I was inspired and feel like I can do a lot more on the court. Even though they did not win, I still feel like I can be one of them," Walters said.

Jamaica suffered a 99-93 loss to Bahamas on Thursday and then a 97-81 loss to Canada on Sunday at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.

VALUABLE LESSONS

Ryheem Martell, captain of Campion College High School basketball team, the ISSA Under-19 urban champions, felt motivated and took valuable lessons from the experience.

"I was taking in some of their defensive tactics that they used and realised that what they did that we didn't do was share the ball more. So that is something that I took away from the game that I will use as my motivation going into my season, to motivate me to do even better in the sport," Martell observed.

Martell said games like this can help foster growth in younger local players.

"I think we can host more games such as this one to give younger kids and younger folks the experience to this high level of basketball talent so that we can actually grow the sport because Jamaica is slowly developing in the basketball hierarchy. (This will) help them to love the sport, be motivated and passionate about it."

IMPACT YOUTH PLAYERS

Ardenne High School's basketball coach, Basil Barrett, says the games will have an impact on a number of Jamaican youth players

"This is a big motivation for the youngsters, seeing an international flavour of basketball in Jamaica for the longest while - we are talking about almost 20 years seeing anything like this; this is all well for the sport." he said.

"The local coaches are working hard at the youngsters in high school and hope we can turn out more youngsters for scholarships overseas. Once they go overseas on scholarship they will improve more and they can get into the national set up," Barrett said.

However, he has highlighted some needs.

"We need more sponsorship, we need more support at the local level and even more grassroot basketball starting the kids from primary and prep school," Barrett said.

DEVELOPMENT

Jamaica Basketball Association President, Paulton Gordon, said hosting games such as the qualifiers is one way the association is working to further develop the sport.

"This is why we do this. We want basketball to be showcased at the highest level in Jamaica. I want the youngsters to understand that there is a pathway to professionalism and opportunities for possible scholarships," Gordon explained. "All these players from Jamaica and Canada came through a youth development system, a high school system, and we have to say thanks to all of the high school coaches in Jamaica who have developed some of these youngsters (on the national team), they moved on to college overseas and are playing professionally, in most cases somewhere in Europe and in one case somewhere in Japan," Gordon said.

"There is a pathway to earn and there is a pathway for schooling, and we want the youngsters to aspire. We want to be able to create these opportunities for them so that they can see ultimately where they can land."