Pelham Panthers land JUEL franchise
The Pelham Panthers will be taking over the Niagara regional JUEL franchise from the Niagara Falls Red Raiders. File photo by NEIL CAMPBELL.
Niagara will continue to boast two JUEL basketball franchises.
The Niagara Falls Red Raiders organization decided this year it didn’t want to run the two girls basketball teams (JUEL and JUEL Prep) any longer and the Pelham Panthers have stepped in. Pelham was awarded the franchise this week.
The Panthers had been interested in taking over the regional JUEL franchise when Niagara Falls gave it up and discussions were held about four years ago between Pelham president Brian Bleich and then Red Raiders president Terry Thomson.
‘We were waiting for that time,” Bleich said. “There was no pressure on them, but when they said they were done, we thought it was the right time for us to apply.”
Last year, the Niagara Girls Basketball Academy out of Welland was also awarded a JUEL franchise.
Bleich is excited for Pelham to take over the franchise from Niagara Falls.
“In the past five years, the Pelham Panthers have grown so much and our teams get to the higher levels,” he said. “We want to give people in our organization a chance to play on some of those teams along with the other girls in the region.”
It’s a perfect fit for Niagara.
“We also have the structure,” Bleich said. “Our executive is made up of well-known people in the basketball community and we have great connections in the basketball community.
“Plus we are attracting a lot of volunteer coaches at the lower levels who will be working their way up and I think the succession planning with it is good.”
Bleich stresses the program isn’t just about Pelham and the Panthers wants to attract the best players from across Niagara.
“This just a transfer from Niagara Falls and we are not changing anything this year,” he said. “This is basically our guidance and it’s just like last year’s teams carry on.”
Beach feels it is important to carry on with the franchise.
“We want to make sure we are continuing to build and not going backwards,” he said. “Our philosophy is to be regional and give the girls an opportunity to play year-round.”
Pelham is running a Niagara Selects AAU program for boys and girls and by next summer will have select teams for girls at the JUEL Prep (Grades 8-10) and JUEL (Grades 11-12) levels. This year, Niagara Selects is fielding girls teams up to the under-16 level.
“Next year, they will mirror our JUEL program,” he said.
Bleich has talked to JUEL head coach Frank Keltos and JUEL prep head coach Sue Sentance and both have agreed to continue in their roles.
He feels there are plenty of talented players in Niagara to have two JUEL franchises in the region.
“The difference between the two programs is that one is a club franchise and ours is a regional franchise,” Bleich said. “They are supposed to be rules for recruiting and their franchise is mainly for girls within their club.”
Pelham is planning to have open tryouts in August for both teams and will bring in outside coaches and basketball people to help select the teams.
The JUEL coaches will be helped out by mentor coaches and technical director Michelle O’Keefe, the former executive director of Basketball Canada and the athletic director at Niagara College.
“We want to raise girls basketball in Niagara to the next level and she is going to help us do it,” Bleich said.
Last year’s JUEL league was made up of Advantage Titans, SBA Lady Blues, London Ramblers, Niagara JUEL, Hamilton Trasnsway, Tri-County Soldiers, NGBA, Kingston Impact, Brampton Warriors, Ottawa Elite, Blessed Sacrament, Mississauga Monarchs and Simcoe Muskoka Royals.
The 2018-19 JUEL Prep league included NGBA, Blessed Sacrament, Advantage Titans, Mississauga Monarchs, SBA Lady Blues, Hamilton Transway, Niagara JUEL Prep, Windsor Valiants, Brampton Warriors, Canada Elite, Kingston Impact, Tri-County Thunder, Simcoe Muskoka Royals, Ottawa Elite, London Ramblers, North Toronto Huskies and Sudbury Jam.
