Niagara JUEL adds Academy program
The Pelham Panthers Basketball Association has added another element to its Niagara JUEL basketball program.
Beginning this August with tryouts, the association has created a JUEL Academy program for players in Grade 8. Teams are allowed a maximum of three underage players, none younger than Grade 7.
JUEL Academy teams will play 18 regular season games over six weekends plus a minimum of three games at the league championships. Coaching the team will be Charles Kissi, who has coached with the Brock Badgers men’s team, Raptors 905, Fort Wayne Mad Ants and the now-defunct Guelph Nighthawks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
“We are very excited to announce that Charles Kissi is coming onboard as head coach with our JUEL Academy team. Coach Kissi has an excellent, storied coaching background that he brings with him to the program,” Juel administrator Don Larman said. “His time as head coach in the CEBL, assistant coach in the NBA G League and 905 Raptors as well as head coach with Brock University men’s program speaks volumes about his commitment to learning and developing players. He is an accomplished educator and facilitator of the game.”
Kissi, who was the head coach of Niagara’s girls team at the recent Ontario Summer Games, is excited to lend his expertise to the JUEL Academy team.
“We’re going to focus on helping them transition to the next level as they prepare for their high school careers as well as laying a foundation to prepare them for any higher-level future endeavours. Our focus is development. I’ve been fortunate to have much experience doing just that. I look forward to helping these young talented athletes move towards achieving their goals and aspirations in basketball.”
The league features: player and coach insurance coverage; 32-minute games; 30-second shot clock with a 15-second reset on offensive rebounds; game video; certified therapists; First Team, Second Team and All-Defensive Team recognition; championship medals (gold, silver and bronze); and, recognition on the JUEL website and social media.
Tryouts for the Academy squad will be held at the Pelham Community Centre Thursday, Aug. 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Sept. 11 from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
JUEL tryouts, for players in Grades 11, 12 and 12B, will be held at the Pelham Community Centre Thursday, Aug. 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug.18 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 25 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Si Khounvesith is excited to return for his second year as head coach with the JUEL team.
“We learned a lot about the league and about our players. We have a core returning who have improved tremendously and learned about how we want and need them to play. The returning players have trained hard all summer,” he said. “We have a couple of young players moving up that we are excited about. We believe we can have a great season with all the development of our players. We would love to see new players come out for Niagara JUEL and get exposed to some of the best training for basketball in Niagara.”
JUEL Prep tryouts, for players in Grade 9 and 10, will be held at the Pelham Community Centre Friday, Aug. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The team is coming off a bronze meal at this year’s league championships.
Head coach Chris Moscato can’t wait to start his second season with the squad.
“The team had a great finish last year and we are looking to build on that success. We are looking forward to tryouts and building the best team possible,” he said.
The JUEL and JUEL Prep teams will play 11 weekends, which includes three pre-season exhibition games, 19 regular season games, an in-season tournament and at least three games during championship weekend.
Tryouts for all three teams are open to all athletes but players must register online at www.pelhambasketball.ca. There is a $25 tryout fee to be paid at time of on-line registration. Tryout information will be emailed to all registered players. For more information, contact niagarajuelbasketball@gmail.com.
The teams will be selected with input from the coaching staffs, Pelham Panthers basketball representatives and others not connected with Pelham Panthers or the JUEL or JUEL Prep programs.
The JUEL and JUEL Prep teams will be selected by the end of August and the JUEL Academy team will be picked by mid-September. Athletic and skill development as well as practices will then be determined.
Players who are competing at the Ontario Basketball Association, Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association or OSBA junior level are not allowed to compete at the JUEL or JUEL Prep level during the same season. This year, JUEL Academy players will be allowed to compete in both JUEL Academy and Ontario Basketball Association programs.
