UWIC Archers
End of season summary
Damian Jennings Head Coach UWIC Archers said:
You can fall into the trap of labelling every year as a transition year, but as one of the newly promoted Division 1 National league teams with a host of new faces (players, staff & commercial support) and refreshed aspirations on the back of a very successful previous year this really was a transitional year! The major highlight on reflection from an extrinsic point of view has to be winning BUSA for the first time in UWIC history. To beat Team Northumbria in the manner that we did with every obstacle imaginable plaguing our Finals weekend makes becoming National BUSA champions particularly special. Upon internal reflection I would have to say that we have built a programme for the future, which includes the right people. The right people are important to UWIC Archers both on the court and off. Scholarship student-athletes like Stef Collins (Great Britain & UWIC Archers Captain) have provided strong leadership and perhaps a new benchmark of performance level for other players to aspire to. Additional coaching staff such as Trudie Hopgood and Mark Royal bring an expertise that places a formidable backbone to the programme that simply is not seen amongst other National League clubs.
The support of Bovema / UK has kick started an off the court ambition to engage in a sustainable commercial relationship with the right people, who align their core values with similar performance aspirations to the Archers programme and vice-versa.
To reach the Quarter-Finals of the National League Division 1 Play-Off’s in our first year seems a great achievement, but we can’t help feeling we have under-achieved in this league - I think this just goes to show the ambition of both the coaches and players. You have to taste and compete at the level to truly know if you are ready, and after a 4 point home loss to last years National Champions Sheffield Hatters (league champions this year), a 23 point home win against Team Northumbria who finished 3rd in the league, alongside a 17 point win away versus Nottingham Wildcats who finished 5th we have put together score and performances on the court that show we are only a step behind the top half of the elite league in the UK.
Thoughts turn to next year as we evaluate the year gone and plan how we will meet revised ambitions. Of course the playing squad requires addition, but mostly in depth, alongside some assistance to our long suffering inside players who week-in, week-out have to play 6 inches bigger than they are…in height and width! It would also seem that one of the largest challenges of 2008-09 will exist off the court with our brand and programme development. Bovema / UK offer us a valuable starting point with expert experience and a passion for reaching the local and national community.
I have no doubt that the ambitions we set for the next season will be achieved because we have the
right people involved in this programme who selflessly want nothing but to move forward and achieve.
Thank you to Bovema / UK and all those connected to the company who have offered support over the last season, the
UWIC Archers programme looks forward to working with you into the future.
All about UWIC Archers
UWIC Archers have won the support of an international company, which provides the team with two of its players.
The club – based at the UWIC Cyncoed campus in Cardiff – has won a sponsorship deal from Bovema/UK, Britain’s fastest-growing designer, manufacturer and installer of natural ventilation products and smoke control systems.
Shooting guard Sarah Wagstaffe and 6ft 3ins Latvian international forward Ilze Zekite, both UWIC Masters students, are regulars in the Archers side. Both girls have been employed within the Bovema accounts division at its UK headquarters in Cathedral Road, Cardiff.
The 12-strong UWIC Archers squad also includes Great Britain’s Basketball captain Stef Collins, together with Australian ex-professional player-coach Trudie Hopgood. The majority of the Archers squad are students – UWIC have supported Stef and Ilze through academic-sporting scholarships – while other players juggle work, family and basketball to compete at the highest level.
The UWIC Archers train several nights a week and also have their own conditioning programmes to complete.
The club is based at the Cyncoed Campus Sports Hall on UWIC’s award-winning sports campus, where the likes of Olympic long jump gold medallist Lynn ‘the leap’ Davies and Wales rugby legend Gareth Edwards both trained and studied.
Archers home games attracts a large family following with children involved in playing on court at half-time and meeting the players after each match, providing them with a real introduction to the sport.
Bovema/UK managing director David Fitzpatrick said: “We feel there is a close relationship between the attributes of a successful sports person and a successful business person and we have found people we employ who come from a strong sporting background develop into key members of staff.
“We are very proud to be involved with the UWIC Archers and the beliefs they hold. They deserve some financial support for the fantastic season they had last year and, hopefully, this support will help them this season as it’s a big deal to be playing in the highest possible league there is.
“We hope through some awareness people will understand that maybe playing sport is not only great fun, but can also give people skills which can be used within the commercial world with great success.”