19. Basketball

Event: Basketball
Date: 23rd June 2013
Location: Colchester Academy
Cost: £4 each
Rules:  Olympic teams are made of twelve players; five players and seven subs on each team. Players must take no more than two steps with the ball without dribbling. Once in possession of the ball, the team only has 24 seconds to make an attempt on goal or they loose possession. Two points are scored for a regular shot from open play, with one point for each successful free throw (following an opposition infringement), and three points or a shot from beyond the three point line. Games last 40 minutes; four quarters of ten minutes. The clock stops for every break in play and teams can call time-outs which last one minute. In the event of a tie at the end of the last quarter, teams play extra periods of 5 minutes until the tie is broke.

   

The Event:

 

  

Teams:

Team Blue (Sharks): Sarah, Laura, Kim, Claire B, Holli, Cynthia.

Team Yellow (Tigers): Ellie,  Claire M, Clare C, Tamsin, Adrienne, Anna.
Ref: Rowen
Time Keeper/Scorer: Greg
Photographer: Carl 

Score:
Team Blue (Sharks):   35
Team Yellow (Tigers): 40
 

London 2012 Winners: USA.

Comments:  

Sarah: Basketball is such a brilliant game! It's fast, frantic and super-competitive. Ellie and I went for a training session with the Coggeshall Cougars earlier in the year, and have had a couple of practices with Ellie's brother Rowen, so we decided to arrange our own match to rope some friends in to our project. We had been a bit worried that we wouldn't have enough players on the day, but thankfully there were six per team, so enough for one sub each. It took the first quarter for everyone to suss each other out, and to forget all of our netball experience (remember to move with the ball!). My team had a slow start and were trailing by 12 points after the first quarter, but we had a really good team huddle and all stepped it up for the rest of the game; we took throw-ins really quickly, got much tighter on marking and became tactical with player positioning.  We were on the basket so much, but frustratingly had trouble actually getting the ball in the net! A few did go in though, and Kim scored some excellent three-pointers, and with each quarter we knocked more off the score-difference, ending only 5 points down.  
     
Ellie: Well, that's certainly an interesting way to spend a Sunday. My team was a wonderful combination of speedy types and scrappy types and we all had a definite competitive streak. After the first quarter we all agreed that we were having a really good time and that if we carried on like that for the rest of the game then it would have been a successful day... that being said, as soon as Kim started scoring massive 3-pointers we brought out the tactics. Basketball is another sport that I am sad to see the back of. Today really proved to me how simple and enjoyable it is to bring friends together and play. 

 

A BIG thanks to everyone who came along and made it such a fun match!  

 

18. 200m Backstroke

Event: Women's 200m Backstroke
Date: 14th June 2013
Location: Basildon Sports Park
Cost: £3.45
Rules:  Swimmers start in the water and hold on the side or top bars of the diving platform awaiting the start. On the whistle, swimmers launch backwards and dolphin kick underwater until the arms break the surface. Backstroke is swum with alternating arm strokes and fast up-and-down kicks. When swimmers reach the end of the pool, they may turn onto their stomach for one arm pull and then perform a tumble-turn. They then swim to the other end of the pool. Swimmers complete four lengths of the pool. At the end of the race, swimmers stay on their backs until they touch the wall with one hand.

   

The Event:

  

Times:

 

Olympic Gold Medal London 2012: 2.04.06, Missy Franklin, USA.

Sarah: 6.08.61

Ellie: 6.10.99

 

Comments:  

Sarah: We took our second early morning trip to the Basildon pool unsure if we'd get the lane space during the public swim time to give the distance a proper go. As it happened, we were both able to give the 200m three attempts, with us both posting our best time on the final go. I preferred the 200m distance to the 100m as it felt like I had more time to settle into a rhythm and pace before the final burst. I still had issues with bashing in to the lane dividers, but seemed a bit more accurate with my turns this time round.       
Ellie: After the  100m Backstroke earlier in the year, I felt that the 200m would be a huge task. As it turned out, I found it easier and strangely less intimidating than the 100m. I think that knowing we had to do four lengths made me calm down and try not to use too much energy too soon. We were also slightly more accustomed to the (still massive) pool. During the swim it became clear how important it is to get your turns just right as missing a launch or going off course can be a real disadvantage. Now we move on to the freestyle and breaststroke; these both require diving and some different turns. We may have a few outdoor pools in mind for those...as long as the weather cheers up, we'll be alright!