Abingdonian 2018

20 The Abingdonian Basketball As always is the case with Abingdon basketball, the club enjoyed another great season. There is a sense of unanimity among all involved regarding the pride with which we look back on this season. The 2017/18 season was one of change. First of all, a star player and legendary teammate left for greener pastures, well before his time was up. The effect of his leaving cannot be understated. He was quite possibly the most talented player to ever put on the Abingdon uniform. Losing him gave us the options of throwing in the towel or coming together. We chose the latter and to a degree, losing him was a blessing in disguise as it catalysed our greater camaraderie as a team. This allowed this year’s team to function as a true unit. We built upon each other’s strengths and diminished individual weaknesses. Secondly, we were in unfamiliar territory due to coach Rev Gooding’s sabbatical during the Michaelmas Term. Rev Gooding founded the Abingdon basketball team and had overseen the club from its genesis to its now thriving state. He is synonymous with all things basketball at Abingdon. In spite of the magnitude of this absence, Dr Frampton ably led the club in the interim. Alongside the capable assistance of Chemistry Department office-mates Mr Border and Mr Litchfield, Dr Frampton ensured that things ran like clockwork as we players had become to expect. This translated to a strong start to the season, with the team winning all Michaelmas fixtures. It has to be reiterated that this feat was achieved in spite of Rev Gooding’s absence, which is a testament to the strength of the infrastructure he created, as well as the resilience of the players in such uncharted waters. By the time Lent rolled around, Rev Gooding had returned from his sabbatical and we picked up right where we left off. With an unusually packed schedule, practice time was limited, meaning we had to ramp up the intensity during the few sessions we had. On-court results were very encouraging. Hard-fought losses against strong sides and a particularly unexpected second-half collapse served as valuable learning experiences, particularly for the younger members of our squad. The lessons taken from the aforementioned defeats were especially evident in the home fixture against St Edward’s, where a hardened Abingdon side utterly dominated the opposition, setting a school record for the biggest win in the process. However, numbers alone cannot encapsulate the brilliance of our team. This year, we have had our share of defensive clampdowns, as well as stretches of smooth ball and player movement totally unlocking the opposing defence. Unfortunately the statistics will not remember these moments, but I and the team will. It would also be remiss for me not to give a mention to our Upper Sixth leavers. 2018 marks the end of the road for three team members: Kurt Lee, John Ong, and Joshua McDermott. Kurt and John joined the school last year. Kurt made an immediate impact on the team. His reliability in the mid- range, as well as the calmness he exuded will be surely missed. John on the other hand, came into his own this year and through sheer hard work and determination nailed down a spot on the team sheet. John gave us a large vocal presence, was a complete role model for everyone, and had an astounding ability to play above and below his size. His leadership will also be sorely missed. Finally, Joshua had only started with us this season, but made significant progress nonetheless and gave us another dimension due to his combination of height and coordination. Joshua was unearthed during the previous offseason by Rev Gooding, and this is a testament to his remarkable eye for talent, as well as his ability to nurture that talent. This season was also significant for developments beyond the first team. The outdoor hoop in the MUSA is now fully operational, and it brings great joy to us on the team when we see boys honing their craft there. A passion for basketball is now clearly visible at Abingdon. The strength of the club is no longer the school’s worst kept secret. There is no better example for this then the Thursday training session, where a mass of younger boys are being prepared to fulfil the jobs of leaders of subsequent iterations of the club. Hopefully they improve on the foundation that we and those who have come before us have laid for them. I would like to thank the coaching staff, our loyal legion of boisterous fans, and most importantly the players for making this season such a memorable one. Luckily most of us will be returning, and I hope this time next year, when I write the next edition of this article, I will have just as much to boast about as I do now. Supasin Kongpun, 6GRM