It was a busy weekend for Rockets Junior Performance Teams with mixed results but some very encouraging signs across the club.
Saturday
On Saturday a strong display from our Under 16 Conference Boys team saw Coach Brunetti’s team take a comfortable 75-50 victory over Worcester Wolves with a display that demonstrated some significant improvements made over recent weeks.
Also in action at Nechells Wellbeing Centre on Saturday were our Under 18 Conference team; who won a friendly game v Leicester Riders Foundation after our opponents forfeited the scheduled cup contest due to arriving late. Despite the official contest not taking place, Coach Dudley was delighted to see the team still performing well in the ensuing friendly game, and remaining unbeaten on the season to this point.
Rockets Under 14 Conference team were defeated 34-70 by a strong Coventry Tornadoes team, although Coach Gaskell is seeing plenty of positive signs from his young Rockets team as they adapt to the demands of the competition.
On the road, our Under 16 Premier team travelled to West Yorkshire to beat a resilient City of Leeds team 66-56 and remain unbeaten in the Premier North division. Coach Douglas was happy to see the team continue to progress, whilst also recognising the work to be done as the team moves forward.
Rockets Under 18 Premier team travelled across the country as they made their way to Surrey Rams. The team and Coach D’Alva returned to Birmingham with a loss in a closely fought encounter, but again seeing plenty to be encouraged about in a fiercely contested matchup.
Sunday
Our Under 12 team recorded a morale boosting 55-51 win at Northamptonshire Titans in their first competitive match of the season. Coach Mahamud was proud of the youngsters as they showed great skill and determination to hold on to a 4-point lead and get their season up and running.
It was National Cup Day on Sunday with 2 home games for our Under 18 Premier Girls and Under 18 Premier Boys. First up Rockets Under 18 Girls faced the highly experienced Manchester Mystics. Despite a 73-37 defeat, Rockets demonstrated their quality in spells throughout the game, giving Coach Elfrey encouragement that his side can mix with one of the most proficient youth sides in the country.
The Under 18 Premier Boys were playing back-to-back games following their road trip to Surrey on Saturday but fought with grit and determination against a talented Milton Keynes team. Rockets held a 10-point advantage before the visitors came out on top by 4. Again, our young team can be proud of their efforts.