Brave move as Ballina go national again

It has been a long road back but the news that National League senior basketball will be returning to Mayo has been received tremendously.

It was confirmed last week that there will be a new eight-team Basketball Ireland Men’s Division Two next season, featuring Cavan Eagles, Dublin Raiders, Fr Mathews, Ongar Chasers, Team Northwest, Trinity BC and Mayo’s own, Ballina Braves. The team will be managed by Paul Barrett, with Derek Cunningham as the assistant coach.

Division Two will run in a straight league format and the team who finishes top will be promoted to the Domino’s Men’s Division One.

The Braves claimed MSL National Cup titles in 1990/91 and 1995/96 and won the Men’s Super League in 1991/92 during a golden era for basketball in North Mayo. The club has won 11 national titles in total, the most recent coming last year when their senior team lifted the Basketball Ireland Development League Plate in Tallaght.

The past three years has seen the club return to playing senior basketball in the development league and fielding an under-20 team in the National League.

After coming home to Ballina after living in Dublin, club chairperson Kevin McHale, along with Derek Cunningham, believed the club could return to the National League after seeing the potential at underage.

“I remember the night we were in Harrison’s Bar having a few pints and we said we were just going to go for it,” Kevin told the Western People. “We had an under-12 team, an under-14 team, and an under-16 team.

“Now, we have 90 under eights, we have 90 under nines, we have 90 under tens. The numbers are just incredible, what we have in terms of scale, and we’ve 40 coaches as well.

“There's huge enthusiasm for the game which is great because the whole success of the club is dependent on volunteerism. There's an awful lot of people that help out.” Kevin said the senior team will be mainly compromised of players who have come through the club and ‘maybe a professional or two’. His passion for creating a pathway for young players in Mayo to play National League is clear, and he believes their youngest team is the ‘foundation’ of the club.

“They're the guys that you have to get right. They're the guys that need the good coaches. We don't want to take our foundation for granted, which I think has happened in a lot of clubs in Ireland, where they've kind of solely focused on the seniors nationally.

“For me, we need to continue with our focus being the underage and the younger groups and making sure that we're delivering there. Because if you're not delivering there, it all falls apart.” 

That said, ambition for the Braves is high; that not only will they be competitive but that they can win promotion to Division One, while the ‘ultimate goal’ is for the club to be in the Super League.

“I think we've gone about it really well over the last couple of years. We haven't skipped any corners,” said Kevin McHale. “It's all about doing it organically, all about doing it from building the club up and scaling the club as well. That's the journey we've been on.

“When the opportunity came for Division Two, I don't think we had any excuses not to go. I think the time was right. We’ve really great young fellas in the club now that have performed really high and have competed against the best teams in the country.

“If we stay healthy and everyone comes on board, I think with Paul and Derek's coaching, I think we'd have a really good shot. I'm really excited about it and I'm going to do my best to set up the guys to be as successful as possible to go up to Division One. That's the target now, and then hopefully be there for a couple of years.” 

In manager Paul Barrett and assistant coach Derek Cunningham are two men whose passion for basketball in Ballina runs deep. Paul returns to the Braves after spending a number of years involved with the GAA at Ballina Stephenites where he was part of the first team management.

A highly accomplished basketball player, Paul played both high school and college basketball in the United States before arriving in Ireland to enjoy a distinguished playing career with Ballina. As club captain, he led the Braves to five consecutive Division One titles and also represented the club for numerous seasons at Super League level.

Derek has been in charge of the senior development league and under-20 teams and was head coach for their BIDL success last year.

“I'm delighted to get Paul back. He's going to push the lads hard. He'll eliminate ego. There'll be no ego in the group. It'll be all about the team. He's just a real good guy,” said Kevin of their new manager.

One challenge for the new management will be the logistics of team practice, with many of their talented youngsters like Theo Daly, Brian Donohoe, David Marrey and Mark Cunningham away in college.

Paul Barrett, along with former teammate Liam McHale, would have had the benefit of living more locally in their playing days and McHale himself admitted to having doubts whether the Braves’ plan to re-enter the National League could work on that matter alone.

“I said I can't see that happening, just simply because there's so many kids away now in school and stuff, and that it doesn't make sense financially and otherwise to have two or three foreign players here and no local lads where you can't practice,” Liam McHale told the Western People.

“They're going to have to practice one night a week in Tuam or someplace, like a midweek session, to get everybody together.

“They can't just come together on a Friday and expect to be ready to go. You need to be booking gyms up to the country somewhere and make sure that you get least one good practice in a week. These are the logistic things that will make it little bit more difficult than it was when we were playing.” 

Liam McHale, who coaches at Gortnor Abbey in Crossmolina, has seen many of the gifted youngsters at schools levels progress to playing with Merry Monk Ballina in the BIDL and National U20 League, and he sees no reason why they, along with one of two shrewd signings, cannot make a big impact in the league.

“I think if they're talking about bringing in one or two players, the two guys they bring in have to fit what we have already. I know that's a difficult job as well. If we can get that right, think we'll win most of our games,” said McHale.

“I know it's a bold enough statement but I expect us to be in the top three or four of that competition if we get the right guys to come in that will complement the players that we have.

“The fact that these lads have played senior basketball for two years, the younger lads, Mark, Theo, Brian and David, those guys have two or three years under their belt playing at senior against men. They've played under-20 cup for the last two years at the highest level so they'll be well ready to go.

“I'd be very, very surprised if the two boys [Paul and Derek] don't do a great job, but also that part of that great job is getting the guys in that will help the team and help the young players develop.” 

Fixtures for the new National League season will be released in mid-July, with the season starting the weekend of October 2/3/4.