Shrewsbury basketball players are cooking up a Storm

Shrewsbury Storm Basketball Club is just five years old having been launched in 2017 by former players Dave Cockerill, who is chairman, and vice-chair Kevin King.

Numbers were low initially, barely 25 players across the men's, women's and junior sections, but fast-forward to the present day and Storm are blasting from strength to strength.

Now the senior men's team boasts 20 players – just 12 can be selected per game. The club are considering whether to launch a second team for next season.

The ladies' section has 18 players and thoughts have turned to the possibility of an under-15 and 16 girls team to help progress into the senior side.

And, incredibly, Shrewsbury Storm now carry some 140 young basketballers from all over the country in their junior sections, across age categories of under-17s, under-13s, under-11s and under-9s.

Assistant coach and head official Brett McCormick, who has only been at the club for one year having previously been chairman at established club Shropshire Warriors, has been extremely impressed with both the take-up and the club's standards.

"I've been very, very impressed with the way they work," said McCormick, who is from Wellington.

"At the moment our young sides play in the YBL (Your Basketball League) – we're all about developing youngsters. The National League is very strong.

"Some young players have not played before. Some under-17s have never touched a basketball before they start, they can't bounce a ball and chew gum at the same time.

"They've come a long way and every one of them loves playing, they love the sport and that's the main thing for me.

"Since Covid the club boomed once players were able to return. People have wanted to get out and do things because they were fed up of being stuck inside.

"Kids want to play basketball and parents are welcome to stay to watch and see how we work and are welcome to play. We are happy to welcome all."

Key to the club's rise of late was moving homes to facilitate their rapid growth.

Late last year Storm moved from the sports centre on Roman Road in Shrewsbury, where Cockerill and King first led sessions, to Shrewsbury Sports Village, which has been a significant boost.

"They've given us the facility as much as we need and at the right price, luckily," McCormick explained. "We could not sustain playing at Roman Road, we needed a bigger space and it's really been worthwhile moving, the Sports Village have been fantastic.

"They can't believe it. I only joined last year but DC the chairman is over the moon with how it's all gone. He can't believe how successful the club is.

"We've pulled in players from all over the county, from just outside Newtown, from Oswestry, Wem, Newport, Telford and Bridgnorth.

"I've known Dave and Kevin for 25 years. When they found I had left my previous club they wanted me to be involved."

Storm's various teams train and play throughout the week at the Sports Village in Sundorne. Cockerill coaches the junior sides at under-11s and 13s on Friday nights and King coaches the men's senior side, who compete in the West Midlands Basketball League and play home matches and train on Tuesday nights.

The under-17s are trained on Monday evenings by fellow coach Mark Wilson and play home games on Saturday at Belle Vue School.

Any interested player across any age is welcome at Storm and can find more information on the website www.shrewsburystormbasketball.club/ or email and call shrewsburystormbasketballclub@gmail.com or 01743537077.