Templeogue Basketball Club are proud to host the 4th Mick James Memorial Basketball Tournament this Saturday, 1st October, in Presentation College, Terenure. This year we welcome the Under 15 Boys teams of Ballincollig, Sligo All Stars, St Vincents, Liffey Celtics and reigning champions BNI. Games will take place all day in Presentation College from 9am, with the final taking place at 7pm. We look forward to seeing some great games this weekend played in a good sporting manner and enjoyed by all spectators in a respectful manner, and as always the best team will be crowned champions on Saturday evening.
Group Stages
9am: Templeogue vs Liffey Celtics
10am: Ballincollig vs St Vincents
11am: Liffey Celtics vs BNI
12pm: St Vincents vs Sligo All Stars
1pm: BNI vs Templeogue
2pm: Sligo All Stars vs Ballincollig
Semi Finals
3.30pm: 3rd Place Pool A vs 3rd Place Pool B
4.30pm: Winner Pool A vs Runner Up Pool B
5.30pm: Winner Pool B vs Runner Up Pool A
Final
7pm: Winner Semi Final 1 vs Winner Semi Final 2
Mick James
As one of the founding members of Templeogue Basketball Club (TBC), Mick was always heavily involved, whether it was playing, coaching or being Chairman of the Club. Quite simply TBC would not be the successful club it is today if it wasn’t for the influence of Mick James.
Mick was never afraid to do things his way, possessing great self belief he made many fantastic decisions for the club that proved to be correct and paved the way for a bigger and better basketball club.
Mick’s reorganisation of the underage section of the club in the late 90’s proved to be the catalyst for huge success with Templeogue winning 6 National Cups, an All Ireland Club Championship, and many Dublin titles in recent years. The time and effort put in by so many club members who Mick encouraged and persuaded to get involved has been massively rewarded. Therefore it is fitting that an underage tournament is to be played in his name as he had such a major interest in the future of the club and how the young members were developing as players and people.
When Mick became chairman in 1987 he instantly brought a hugely professional approach to the running of the club clinching sponsorship deals and ensuring the profile of the club was raised to a higher level.
In 1984, Mick in his early 20’s, became player coach of the Templeogue Division 1 team and was quick to realise the potential of the first crop of underage players in the Club, gradually bringing through a number of players to the Senior team which enabled this team to finally win the Division 1 title in 1988. Players who Mick coached and influenced went on to be the backbone of our Club for most of the 90’s.
TBC owes a huge amount of gratitude to Mick James, who not only was hugely influential within the club but was also a great friend to many club members and was always there to lend a hand and give advice. We had many great days down the years, be it on the basketball court or the golf course, and great memories of a man who always looked on the positive side of life. Nothing was impossible, nothing was unachievable.
We hope that the Mick James Memorial tournament is a huge success which will run for many years and be played under the competitive manner and spirit under his name which will serve as a fine legacy that he thoroughly deserves. Mick’s wife, Marguerite, and boys, Conor, Daniel, and Stephen are extremely proud to be able to run this greatly competitive tournament, oozing with talent, to keep Mick’s name alive in underage basketball.