News Five looks at semi-pro’s Travellers Pirates
In Channel Five’s continuing week-long series titled “Inside the B.B.A.,” James Adderley takes a look at the team called Travellers Pirates.
As our pre-season feature of the semi-pro basketball teams continues we checked in at big Bird’s Isle last night to view the training session of the Travellers Pirates team and for sure we were impressed.
The man standing in the middle is head coach Jaime Zaldivar, the legitimate coach in this semi-pro season from our viewpoint. A former player and with double digit years of coaching Jaime knows the game and projects his authority to get results. You can bet his teams are always organized. Here he uses the 3-man weave to impress on his players the value of proper spacing, proper pacing and of course proper finishing.
As the workout progresses coach Zaldivar now utilizes the 5-man flow to get the team into their set pieces on the run. The Travellers Pirates have their eyes on the big prize, but they’ll have to weave the play of proven veterans with the inexperience of talented rookies to come up with a championship formula.
Ian Haylock, Manager, Travellers Pirates
“As you can see here we have a blend of both experience as well as youths and I feel with this blend we will be able to compete and give good account of ourselves. I’m not saying that we’re gonna win but I’m gonna be very optimistic; we’ll be able to compete and do a very good job.”
One of the proven veterans on the ball club is Charlie “Dunk” Armstrong and he understands how important the chemistry between the veterans and the rookies will be for the Pirates’ ambitions.
Charlie “Dunk” Armstrong
“Well so far we have a young team with a couple of veterans and hopefully we will try to do our best out there because we have a young, young team with veteran players. If we go through what we have to do out here then we will succeed during the season.”
For semi-pro rookie Kenroy Smith this season is his coming out party.
Kenroy Smith
“Since I didn’t have a lot of playing time on the CARICOM team I think that this would be my first appearance on a real league. I think this will be a start for me because I’m in junior sixth form right now and I’m trying to look for a scholarship to go over yonder.”
Q: “So you’re gonna use this season to expose your talent?”
Kenroy Smith
“Yes.”
Q: “Are you impressed with the instructions and style of coaching of your coach Jaime Zaldivar?”
Kenroy Smith
“Yes and no because on the yes side, it’s because he gets us in shape because we’ve been doing physicals like nearly every day. And then again that’s kinda bad because it’s coming closer to the season and we haven’t played any exhibitions games whereby we can get the feeling of each other on the team.”
One player who will lead the Pirates offense is sharp shooting Colin “number 1” Grant for the first time playing without Clinton Lightburn.
Colin “number 1” Grant
“It’s a new team; all I can say is I hope we have a good season.”
Q: “You seem to still have that hot hand, can you bring that to this season?”
Colin “number 1” Grant
“Definitely, no doubt about that. It’s just I haven’t played since the ’91 season, the last senior season that Santino’s Jah Jam won but it’s only time that has passed; I still got it.”
Meanwhile folks the Travellers team has captured a real prize going into this season and indeed big man Denzel Castillo may well be the best kept secret in the new B.B.A.
Denzel Castillo
“Originally, I’m from Georgetown Village. That’s way down south. I stopped playing ball probably four years ago in high school.”
Q: “Are you comfortable on this team and with the coach?”
Denzel Castillo
“Very comfortable; we have a good team — with the coach, with the teamwork and everything. We’re looking forward to this year.”
We were impressed with the quiet confidence of 20 year old Castillo and we’re sure he will have an immediate impact on the league. We were even more impressed by the dedication of coach Zaldivar to bringing out the best from this collection of players. Naturally we’ll soon find out. The Pirates make their debut this Saturday night against Dangriga’s Isanigu. We give them a big edge going in. Of course basketball games are won by executing on the court and not by predictions on the microphone.
The semi-pro games begin this Friday night at the City Centre and will be aired on Channel Five.
