YORK Vikings are a basketball club on the rise. The Vikings not only have boy’s junior teams competing in the England Basketball national league, but are also represented in local leagues by a junior girl’s team, and senior women’s and men’s team.

Priding themselves on being a community club, Vikings work tirelessly to offer opportunities for not just players of all ages but also coaches and officials in close conjunction with the local council, schools, colleges and universities.

Through the coaching development programme at York St John University, Vikings have been able to recruit keen young coaches while offering students invaluable experience.

All of York’s national league coaches are England Basketball level two coaches and, in keeping with their community ethos, the club enjoys excellent parental support, with several parents also qualified table and match officials.

York also boast one of the only basketball programmes with an inclusive wheelchair basketball team, running two sessions a week – seniors and juniors – overseen by certified wheelchair basketball coaches.

The club have received four wheelchairs through the Change For Life initiative and five from the Lord’s Taverners charity, while a generous donation from York Rotary has ensured Vikings are able to cater for a full squad of ten players.

Not content to simply receive, the club loan their chairs to York St John who put them to use on several of their courses.

The three junior teams competing in national league – under-13s, U15s and U18s – have enjoyed mixed success so far this season.

The U13s and U15s currently sit in sixth position in the North East Conference, with the U18s one place better in fifth.

All three teams feature several younger players who, due to injuries and restricted numbers, have been forced to play up one and even two age groups in some circumstances.

Despite this, Vikings have secured excellent victories over perennial national league junior teams such as Durham, Stockport and Gateshead.

The club are keen to continue to attract new players – particularly female players – who may be interested in the sport or simply wish to try something new.

Organisers are happy for any potential new players to participate in three training sessions for free to see if the sport and the team is to their liking.

Anyone interested in basketball can also attend the Vikings’ Easter camp, which will run from April 11 to April 13, from 10am to 4pm each day.

On April 14 there will be a tournament open to anyone from school Year 7 to Year 11.

The camp costs £35 for all three days, or £13 per day for the first child. For any further brothers or sisters, it costs £24.50 or £9 per day.

The tournament costs £3.


VIKINGS factfile

York Vikings Basketball Club Training times.

Tuesdays

U18s and senior men: 7pm to 9pm at York College.

Wednesdays

U13s and 15s: 7pm to 9pm at Manor School.

Thursdays

U14s girls: 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Burnholme Community College.

Senior women: 7pm to 9pm at Burnholme Community College.

Wheelchair basketball: 7pm to 8.30pm at York St John University.

Fridays

U13s, U15s and U18s boys: 7pm to 9pm at York College.

Contact information

Website:www.yorkvikings.org.uk

Email:yvbc@yorkvikings.org.uk

Phone: club chairman Jeremy Hall on 01609 777961.