PRESTON, England – Myerscough Basketball Academy has launched an Under-14s Boys programme ahead of the 2020-21 season and named Shaun Hoyle as coach, Academy director Neal Hopkins confirmed on Sunday.
The Preston-based Academy, which has fostered success nationally and internationally since being established in 2013 for its student-athletes aged 16-20, further expands with the aim to give junior basketball within Preston and the surrounding communities – notably Blackpool, Garstang and Chorley – a platform to grow at the National League level and complement individual club commitments.
“We are greatly looking forward to engaging with the local clubs and forging an opportunity for the players in the area to gain invaluable experience at a crucial age.” said Hopkins. “To be able to provide a platform to inspire the next generation is critical and it’s a pleasure to be able to do that through the programme using Myerscough as the hub. Hopefully we can play a small part in guiding some future stars.”
To help bring the vision to fruition, Hopkins has brought in former Academy assistant coach and Preston local Hoyle to serve as U14 Boys head coach. Hoyle was an assistant under Julie Page during the inaugural year of the women’s programme at Myerscough in 2016.
“I’m really excited to be returning to Myerscough,” said Hoyle. “This opportunity is the perfect balance combining the Academy’s professional and high-performance training and my own youth development philosophy. I’m looking forward to working with and learning from the coaches already there.”
The 23-year-old recently returned to England from the United Arab Emirates, where he was based at the American University of Sharjah as a Wellness Coach. He will be entering his final year working towards a degree in Sports Coaching and Performance at UCLan.
Alongside his early coaching experience at Myerscough, Hoyle formerly attended the National Young Coaches Academy and worked with the 2017 U17 North West RPC team. He has also worked the NBC Basketball Camps across England and in the United States.
“We are really not bothered by wins or losses,” said Hoyle. “This is about helping to develop these kids in order to send them back to their clubs as better players and in turn give those clubs and their coaches a strong foundation to build upon.”
The Myerscough Basketball U14 Boys’ team, meanwhile, will compete in Basketball England’s North Conference division, as well as a Central Venue League (CVL) style league to further boost their in-game exposure.
For more information about the launch of the Myerscough Basketball U14s Boys programme, contact Neal Hopkins via email at NHopkins@myerscough.ac.uk. Alternatively, coaches and parents can get in touch with Shaun Hoyle at shaun.hoyle@outlook.com. To register your interest, click here.
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