The rivalry between St. Mary School and R.F. Staples took a brief reprieve last Sunday as basketball players from both schools participated in a special training clinic from an internationally seasoned basketball coach.
Chris Nicol, a former R.F. Staples teacher with 35 years of basketball experience coaching junior high, high school and college teams including stints in Grand Prairie, Scotland and Tobago, passed on his knowledge to eighteen players in the St. Mary School gym Dec. 11.
“This morning we’re doing a lot of fundamentals, so basic skills that are appropriate for high school level kids,” he said.
Nicol ran the ball players through several basic techniques that ranged from ball handling, shooting, passing, and offensive breakdown drills.
In the afternoon, he broke down the session into two-hour lessons with each of the boys and girls teams, focusing on their weak points and strengthening their offensive play.
“We covered some in-bound plays, tweaked their offense and defence, so a bit more higher level stuff,” he said — an appropriate component for St. Mary’s two teams, who just started their first season with many young players in Grades 9 and 10.
Darcy Romanuik, head coach of the St. Mary boys team, had worked with Nicol before and invited him to bring his clinic to the school while he was in the neighbourhood.
“I think anytime kids can hear something from a different voice and some of Chris’ perspective, I think it’s good and he’s very knowledgeable of the sport,” Romanuik said. “I get a lot of stuff through him. If you can come away from something like this and get two or three drills, it’s very beneficial and worthwhile.”
Nicol first started his clinics while at R.F. Staples to raise money for the team. Eventually, he expanded the fundraising clinics to college teams.
Nowadays, he also offers his clinics to smaller teams that he knows, like the area schools.
“The kids are great,” Nicol added. “They’re all attentive.”
