The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JUST hours remain for student athletes to register for their opportunity to earn a roster spot for Team Bahamas at the upcoming FIBA Under-17 Skills Challenge.

Registration is currently open at the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s website at bbfbasketball.com for players interested in securing a spot in the open tryouts, but closes tonight at 11:59pm.

Tryouts are open to all boys and girls ages 15-17 born after January 1, 2013. Persons will be notified via e-mail of their prospective tryouts dates and times on July 24.

Interested persons can also contact the BBF by email at U17.bbf@outlook.com or call 422-2353.

The FIBA U-17 Skills Challenge, hosted August 10-16, is a new initiative by basketball’s international governing body.

It gives The Bahamas another opportunity to compete at the international level against top basketball prospects throughout the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bahamas has entered both boys and girls teams for qualification.

FIBA established the competition as a means for its member federations to bring their youth teams together for a training camp and allow players to enjoy a competitive activity without travelling internationally.

The qualification round will be hosted at the respective federation’s chosen location and the final will take place August 17. The Bahamas is vying for one of five spots open in the final.

Players will try out in specific trial blocks based on their last names. The first tryout phase will commence July 25 and will run through the 27th. Phase two will be July 29-30 and the final team selection will be July 31. The roster will be submitted August 3.

Marvin Henfield serves as the head coach for both teams.

Throughout the process, the tryout sessions and team practices will adhere to FIBA, BBF and Government of The Bahamas COVID-19 guidelines.

“We have created COVID safe guidelines that we have implemented to be in compliance with all necessary rules and regulations. We have determined that the maximum number of athletes that will be in the gym at any point for a tryout will be 20. Each of the athletes will go through a check-in process at the door. Each will be asked a series of five questions - the standard COVID screening questions - and we have a checklist we have prepared and athletes will have to answer no to each question.

They will also have their temperature taken. If an athlete answers yes to any question they will not be allowed to participate. They will go through this process with every scheduled activity, which includes the tryouts as well as when we begin practices,” Henfield said. “They will not be required to wear masks in the gym but must adhere to social distancing guidelines. They must stand six feet apart when inactive, and 12 feet apart when active. At no time will more than four athletes be using the court at one time. Coaches and support staff will have their temp taken, will have masks at all times during on schedule training.”

Mechanisms are in place to give Family Island participants an opportunity to qualify. “With this COVID experience, we still want to access the best talent we have and we are in this to win this. We have also comprised a format that we will submit to the federation for virtual tryouts for Family Island athletes,” Henfield said.

“In order for us to be entirely inclusive, it requires us to be far more exhaustive than the timeframe that we have allows. It is our hope to access all the best athletes that we can in the timeframe that we have allotted to us.”

Players will display a set of skills through a course of challenges dispersed across the full length of the court. The player starts at baseline, dribbles 15 feet and will have three attempts to make a pass through a passing cone. If they are successful, they will receive one point. They will then make a layup on the same side of the court, dribble around five cones to the opposite end of the floor and take a jumpshot from behind the free throw line.

If they are successful on the first attempt they will be awarded two points. If they miss they will have to get their rebound, make a layup and then go full length of the court to the three-point line to attempt a three pointer. If they make it on the first attempt they will be awarded three points. If they miss they have to get the rebound and pass it to the next team member in line and the next four will continue the process.

The maximum number of points scored by an individual on a given round is six points. A team can score a maximum of 30 points. The total score will be subtracted from total time in seconds and the team with the lowest time wins.

FIBA created the Skills Challenge after the U-17 Basketball World Cup and 2020 Youth World Competitions were postponed due to the coronavirus.