Mark Interviews Basketball 'Future Star' Jake Cavanagh

On Thursday the 10^th of December I met up with basketball player Jake Cavanagh in the library. Jake plays for Falkirk fury under 14’s and Larbert High School, he is also in the ‘future stars’ programme for high level junior basketball players in Scotland. I asked him a few questions on what life is like for a keen basketball player.

“Can you tell us how you got started in your sport?”

“I was in p7, I was doing basketball in PE and my teacher said I should go to a club after school, so I did and then eventually Falkirk Fury asked if I wanted to play for them and I said yes”.

“Can you take us through a typical week in your sport?”

On Tuesday Jake has school basketball training and he practices in his front garden most days. On Wednesday he has fury training from 8pm till 9:30pm. On Thursday he trains with the Larbert High Senior Team and he has fury training from 7:10pm till 8:20pm. “On Saturday I sometimes have Scottish cup games and Sunday I either have future stars training or RDL (regional development league) games. On Monday’s and Friday’s I focus on my studies and homework, I sometimes play nba2k16 on my ps4 as well”

 

“What is your ultimate goal in your sport?”

Jake would like to play in the NBA but he doesn’t think that will happen.  “I think I can maybe make the European league which has a lot of good teams or I would like to coach a team in the European leagues”

 

“What are your strengths and weak points in basketball?”

“I’m quite strong and I can push to the rim and I try not to hog the ball. I need to work on not panicking when I get the ball in games, and when I get the ball I sometimes rush getting to the basket”

 

“Who are the toughest team you have ever come up against and why were they so tough?”

“Probably the Edinburgh kings, they have really good shooters and it’s hard to lock them down. There is another team Saint Mirren, they play really good defence but we ended up winning that game”.  Fury U-14s beat Saint Mirren in the Scottish cup to advance through to the next round and play the Edinburgh kings.

 

“Can you explain what the future stars programme is like and why is it such an exciting opportunity.”

“it is such an exciting opportunity because it’s my way of fitting in and not feeling embarrassed because when I go there’s a lot of new people it’s not just one team that I have friends from teams around the country. I think I’ve got a really good chance of getting in the Scotland squad this year”    

The ‘Future Starz’ is a basketball program for young basketball players, it gives them a chance of getting in the Scotland squad that year if they impress the coaches. This is what Jake is focusing his efforts on this year and hopefully he can make it into the Scotland team

 

 

 

by Mark Mcguire