TODAY we reveal the shortlist for Sports Team Of The Year at the Examiner Community Awards.
Here are the three shortlisted nominees and the winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony at the Galpharm Stadium on Monday, June 6.
RAMSDENS Solicitors is a forward-thinking, progressive law firm with its roots embedded in Kirklees and Calderdale – a provincial firm serving the region’s private and commercial businesses. It is a well-respected local law firm that has operated in since 1870. Ramsdens are proud to be supporting the Examiner Community Awards 2011.
Managing partner Paul Joyce said: “Holding these awards is central to the local community because it establishes a sense of pride in what we are all doing. “Getting people together to celebrate what we as a community have achieved and also recognising the not-for-profit work in Kirklees that is also being done is important to everyone in the community.
BASKETBALL is alive, well and inspiring young people in Deighton.
Deighton Demons and Deighton Diamonds are the men’s and women’s basketball teams and the vibrant club now has just short of 70 members.
The women’s team is celebrating 25 years this year while the men’s team can trace its roots back to a youth club in Deighton in the 1970s.
Despite ups and downs over the years and several changes of venue, the club is now thriving like never before with the Demons winning the county cup – the Leeds and District Cup – and the Diamonds coming second.
But the club does far more than that within the community, giving youngsters the chance to channel their energies into something positive and provide an alternative to hanging around on the streets.
They were nominated by Deighton Into Sport Co-ordinator Basil Richards, who said: “Over the years the teams have been very successful at a local and regional level.
“Now they have come together to form Deighton Basketball Club and the club has two additional junior teams – the under 12s and the under 15s.’’
He revealed that the ever-ambitious club is now seeking to set up a girls’ team.
The teams are based at the Deighton Arena and Fartown High School.
Basil added: “Players go into Fartown High and All Saints schools to talk to the pupils about the importance of sport and how it can build self-confidence and self-esteem. They are seen as very positive role models.’’
Regular coaching takes place at the arena and some players have already qualified as Level 2 coaches and more have registered for the same course later this year.
This means they will be qualified to coach both teams and players.
Basil added: “Now we are working towards having Sundays at the Deighton Sports Arena as our Basketball League Fixtures Day when the Demons and the Diamonds will play their home matches.’’
The season runs from late September to April.
HONLEY High Netball Team is unbeatable.
The team first got together when the girls moved up to the school in 2006.
From this point there were nine girls who began training together and have remained together as a team throughout their five years at the school.
And in all that time they have never lost a game so the Year 11 team will be leaving school without ever being beaten at their beloved sport.
PE teacher Karen Adams said: “The nine girls were committed to weekly practices and matches and showed an exceptional attitude at all times. They were unbeaten in any Kirklees tournament or league match.
“They are a group of girls who have stayed together and shown unbelievable commitment, juggling academic and exam pressures to continue to play netball to a high level.
“I have never known a team to show such a positive attitude to each other, their opposition and the spirit of the game in general. The fact that they are unbeaten within Kirklees is an exceptional achievement, but their attitude and support of each other is, in my opinion, of greater importance.’’
In October 2009 the team played in an international tournament in Malta and won it.
This year they took part in a West Yorkshire invitation tournament.
Karen said: “Some other teams playing in this tournament were technically of superior ability, but the Honley team showed such a desire to win and a belief in themselves they came through victorious.’’
So beware other teams out there.
Many of these girls have now chosen to further their netball careers by joining local women’s teams.
BAY Athletic have made history by winning a high quality league for the fourth year in a row.
This – coupled with two cup wins – means a hat-trick of successes this season and they have also just revealed they are looking to the future by setting up an academy team to start next season.
Bay have won the West Riding County Amateur Football League title for the fourth successive year – the first team in the league’s history to achieve this feat.
Now the club, which is based at Canalside off Leeds Road, is already on with plans to move up to the next level, the Northern Counties East League.
This means the club has lifted both the West Riding FA Challenge Cup and the Huddersfield and District Challenge Cup.
The silverware success means Bay is representing the West Riding League in the Counties Cup.
The second team won the West Riding Division I League Cup and were runners-up in the league, just missing out on goal difference.
The club first began on the recreation ground off New Hey Road in Salendine Nook before moving across the fields to the former Huddersfield University pitches where they won their first league title.
They then relocated to the Syngenta sports ground which has just been taken over by Huddersfield Town to become Canalside.
Ex-player Richard Spychalski, who has been the first team manager for the last eight years, said: “It suits our playing style of keeping the ball on the ground so much better. Passing and moving is so important to our style and my philosophy is that the team which keeps the ball has more chance of winning the game and, ultimately, the league.
“The players have responded brilliantly on the pitch. Many have full-time jobs so they have shown great commitment to making this club as successful as it has become.’’
The ambition now is to move up to another level and play in the Northern Counties East Football League which could be as early as 2012 if they keep up their winning ways.
They also need to prove the club has a solid base and will be around for a long time to come – and the new academy for under 17s is just one way of proving that.
Richard also manages the league’s representative team which is through to the first round of the FA Inter League Cup after beating Birmingham AFA in the preliminary round. The eventual winners will represent England in the international stage. Several Bay Athletic players are in this team.
