Disney mission for ballers

Bermuda’s burgeoning youth basketball programme will go into overdrive when nearly 50 players head to Orlando, USA, to take part in the second annual International Global Cup.

Ten coaches will also be making the trip on August 3 as Bermuda’s young ballers take on teams from the likes of Hong Kong, the Philippines, the States and Australia.

A total of 32 sides are involved at the Walt Disney Complex venue with the Bermuda group led by youth co-ordinator Chris Crumpler — a national team player —  and head coach Charles Peters, as well as a dedicated support network of parents and coaches.

While sporting development is central — with the long-term plan to enter  Olympics and age-group  World Cup qualifiers — the programme is also about developing the individual children.

Crumpler told the Bermuda Sun: “We were talking  to a parent and trying to help out and support — the child had never travelled, never had a passport.

“So we’re helping this middle school Bermudian child get a passport and travel and leave the country for the first time and go to Disney to play basketball! 

“We get the package for the tournament but we also get theme park passes for the group while we’re there. 

“It’s going to be a great bonding experience.

“This is what we’re trying to do. It’s not just about playing sport, we want to make a bang in the community so they become basketball players but they love the sport so they adapt to the culture and the friendships bonded through the game.

“That one child for me this summer is what makes it special. And we have other stories where we’re helping people. 

“This other young man we’re trying to help is actually homeless. You don’t really want to put this stuff out there but you have to support it. All he really does is play ball.

“There’s little things like that that pushes you to keep going, to keep finding the money out of nowhere to create an opportunity for a child. 

“They’ve really given me a lot of energy.”

He added: “It’s the largest basketball contingent to ever represent Bermuda.”

Last year, the group took just one team — an under-12 pilot side. They lost every game, albeit some narrowly.

Crumpler said: “It’s the same team coming back into the same age group after a year of training and they’re bigger, a lot bigger than they were last year, so we are looking at how they respond, particularly.”

With links to the Bermuda Basketball Association, Crumpler feels they are now connecting the dots in terms of establishing a real infrastructure for the sport in this country. They raised well over $50,000 to fund the trip — but they need more help.

He said: “We did car washes, wine tasting, pledge sheets to raise the money to go, movie nights, there’s so much work, so much expense — now we need to get a title sponsor.

“Now we have the bodies they need to brand their company.”

Interested players and sponsors can contact Chris Crumpler at [email protected] or Charles Peters at [email protected]