Cougars A Force To Be Reckoned With....
Formed in July 2006, the Cougars basketball program now boasts over 30 players, 13 of which have received national honours at various levels. Players travel from as far as Cwmbran and Llanelli to play for Cougars Basketball Club. An excellent training program providing progression from youth to senior basketball is key, and has seen an increasing number of youth players make the step up to senior level. It is hoped that the solid structure in place, together with the club’s continued success, will result in Cougars Basketball Club being recognised as South Wales’ premier basketball academy.
The club had a very successful debut season, finishing third in the South Wales Valleys League and runners up in the Welsh Championship Cup, an end-of-season tournament involving the top four teams from both North and South Wales. Another third place league finish was achieved in the club’s second season, but was this time accompanied by a win in the Welsh Championship Cup. Edward Piggford collected his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award at the tournament, having lead all players in scoring whilst guiding his team to victory.
The 2008-09 season, the club’s third, was the most successful to date. Due to increased player interest, teams were entered into both divisions 1 and 2 of the South Wales Valleys League, as well as the newly formed West Wales Central Venue League. The Cougars Division 1 team completed the domestic double, finishing the season with only one loss in fourteen games en-route to winning both the league and knockout cup competitions. The Cougars development team finished third in the second tier of the South Wales Valleys League, and won the West Wales League following an unbeaten season.
Looking to finish the 2008-09 season in style and complete the tripple, the Cougars travelled to Cardiff during the first weekend of May to defend the Welsh Championship Cup. Although entering the tournament as the South’s top seed, Cougars faced a tough pool including the North’s second seed Bidston Rockets and archrivals Barry Huskies, the only team to beat Cougars during the regular season. Showing tremendous heart and spirit, the Cougars battled through three tough games over the weekend and were again crowned Welsh Champions, collecting the club’s fourth piece of silverware for the 2008-09 season.
The Cougars have started the 2009-10 campaign where they left off last season and are currently unbeaten in both league and cup competitions. Highlights thus far have included an emphatic 89-50 win against rivals Barry Huskies and comfortably progressing to the second round of the knockout cup following two convincing victories over the newly promoted West Wales Tropics. Now with a new head coach in place and an extra year of experience under its belt, the club is hoping to repeat the successes of last year and again collect all major honours.
Cougars Basketball Club is hoping to continue to expand and build on the success of its first three seasons. Future aspirations include entering youth teams into local leagues at all possible levels (under 14, 16, 18 years) and the inclusion of a senior team in the English National League. The Cougars committee believe that with the continued support of the local council and sponsors, this can be achieved in the not too distant future. The Cougars are always looking for new talent and train all year round. Anyone interested in joining the club, can contact Lee Davies at cougarsbasketball@hotmail.co.uk.
News, game reports and details of training / game schedules can be found on the club’s website www.cougarsbasketball.co.uk or Facebook page (search ‘www.cougarsbasketball.co.uk’).
