One thing about Cardiff’s Men’s Basketball team, they certainly got their heads in the game. While the Dragons dribbled their way into victory, the Swans were left drooling during the Varsity match at the Sports Wales National Centre. Not only was I able to watch the game from start to finish, but I had the pleasure of doing an exclusive courtside interview with the team’s coach after the riveting match, who shared an insight into the team’s season so far, his coaching career, and also what he’s looking forward to for the rest of Varsity. Coach Kian called the Varsity game the team’s, “best performance” of the year. A Varsity win during his first season coaching is a brilliant achievement to put under his belt, and Coach Kian is entirely grateful for his team, with them being the “best team [he’s] ever had”.
As a spectator, the environment courtside was simply electric. Between the energetic crowd, and the passionate players, it was clear on entry that I was in for an exhilarating experience as a viewer. Quirky and catchy chants from the crowd undoubtedly raised the team’s morale, with many players often looking back and joining in with the rows full of supporters. The performance that the team put on made it impossible to take my eyes off the court, and as someone who’s not even a massive fan of basketball, I was without a doubt hooked. I watched a few different sports at Varsity this year, and the Men’s Basketball game was by far the most entertaining and engaging game of the day for me. It was clear that the courtside seats were filled with people with a genuine passion for the sport, or a genuine love for someone on the team which made for an incredibly welcoming and lovely atmosphere despite not having any personal ties to the game or the players.
Through my experience in the seats, I was able to learn a bit about the game too, from basketball jargon, to how the plays work. I was educated on all things basketball and suddenly Katy Perry’s hit song “Swish Swish” made a lot more sense! Back to the game and my experience, I was particularly impressed with the camaraderie of the Cardiff team, as it seemed like they could almost read each other’s minds on the court, which made for some brilliant and dynamic plays. It was lovely to see the players hyping each other up, and it was clear that the team’s success boiled down to hard work, great coaching, team spirit, and a genuine love for the game. The match was brilliant to watch, with Swansea equally putting on a great effort, but the energy and environment was made all the sweeter, with our Cardiff boys bringing the trophy home after a tense, yet captivating game! I definitely left the venue a fan of both the sport, and the energy of the people present.
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