Introducing-Titans U18 National Cup Teams (well… pictorially)!
When you consider that last season, Titans had neither a Boys nor a Girls u17 side playing locally or Nationally in competitions..you may well ask, how it is that there is such a bevvy of Emerging talent on show, at Boys and girls u18 AND with the re-emergence of an u20 side?
In truth, it has been the coming together of a number of variables. With the boys it was the ongoing commitment of the lads to play wherever they found a game or a team with which they could train and play, so as to stay competitive. After the abdication of their(the u17’s) two big men last year to their more prominent neighbors, and the loss of Evidas to emigration,the Titans u17s kept training as a team and also with other senior mens teams, both locally and in the national league. They also played up, into National Cup and shield with their older peers, and took challenge games wherever they got them (Dublin/ Cork) before their International Tour of Crete where they met some formidable Greek opposition in Rthymion and Chania, and having played out of their skins, took a big scalp beating the Chania Regional Champions..Individually,.they continued to play with their St,Endas and St.Marys Squads (who won an All Ireland) and Finally this year have,(for the third time) rebuilt their resilient Squad and entered the u18 National Cup! They are true Basketballers with a passion for the game who rarely miss an opportunity to develop their skills( Rory O’Neill and Barry O’Gorman, Evan Langan missing from photo)…Best of Luck to the lads and their new Coaches Jose Louis and Carol O’Connor
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And WHAT ABOUT THE GIRLS?You may think that this is impressive…but what about an u18 girls Team who between them, travel a Cumulative 650 miles to train together EACH Sunday…
Like many other Teams throughout the Country, trying to keep Girls playing sports.. the Sligo Giant Warriors Coach Gorana Leahy realized that she had not enough returning players to her U17 squad due the annual national devastation of the Threat of Leaving Cert studies, to be able to field a team..so she asked The Titans if her two daughters could play with them..then came an interest from some Charlestown girls who had no league to play in..there followed enquiries from players who hadn’t played during the past year and were looking to do so again..so the Titans now have a potential squad of 14 players who travel to St.Marys every Sunday to play together, while training at home during the week.

(Missing from the photo is Sophie Coll;Stephanie and Vicky Langan).