Around the Region:
News & Events
Office of
Regional Higher Education
Quick LInks
Chillicothe
Eastern
Lancaster
PIckerington
Southern
Proctorville
Zanesville
Phone: 740.593.2551
Basketball game at Chillicothe with Montserrat
has international intrigue
The Montserrat Volcanics, the national team from the Caribbean island nation of Montserrat, will play an exhibition game against the Ohio University-Chillicothe men’s basketball team at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24, in the Shoemaker Center on campus. Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for students, with proceeds going to the Montserrat Basketball Fund to purchase basketball, rims, air pumps and other basketball-related items.
The game is part of a series of events for the Montserrat national team during a tour of southern Ohio and the surrounding region. Among other activities are an open gym at Piketon High School, an assembly at Paint Valley High School, games against Ohio Christian University and the University of Rio Grande and visits to basketball practice at Ohio State and West Virginia universities. The Montserrat national team has been invited to meet with Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel before watching the OSU basketball team practice.
The Volcanics are coached by former OU-C athletics director Dave Shoemaker, who led a high-successful basketball camp, with approximately 90 participants, on the island nation in August.
“Due to the overwhelming response from the citizens and athletes on Montserrat, the government approved a trip to Ohio for the National Team, a team I selected while there,” said Shoemaker, who coached the Montserrat national team in the 1990s.
“As for me, I'm just honored to be a part of this. These are wonderful people who have suffered through an extremely difficult period,” Shoemaker said. “The volcano destroyed their capital city and their only airport, two-thirds of their population relocated to other countries, but still they persevere with a pride and dignity that is unbelievable to see. They never complain or make excuses, but instead, they just march forward with a positive attitude. There is a lot to learn from the people of Montserrat.”
It will be an adventure in many ways for the Montserratian athletes, many of whom have not travelled beyond the island, which was recently impacted by a volcano.
According to a news release from Montserrat, “Coach Shoemaker’s involvement with the Montserrat team originated in the mid-1990s, with Shoemaker heading clinics on the island and subsequently coaching the team in the Bob Cousy Tournament in Boston in the summer of 1996. The surprising success of the small country in that tournament (with wins over several much-larger nations) culminated in Shoemaker’s invitation to return to the island this past summer.”
The Volcanics include players between the ages of 17 and 30.
“The significance of this visit is huge for the island,” Shoemaker said. “Many of these players have never played on an indoor court. We are hoping that basketball can open doors for their athletes and open their eyes to life choices that are available to them.”
“This trip for the players from Montserrat is a massive opportunity that will help to boost the participation in the sport of basketball on Montserrat,” said Beresford Mack, a Montserrat resident and long-time supporter of the nation’s basketball program. “For many of the players this will be the very first time for them to travel and play against top college and high school players in the United States and will certainly help improve their game and confidence even more. The trip will also serve as a great test for them to see at what level their game is at, and to learn new skills to raise it in the specific areas they will need to focus on.”
“For the people of Montserrat this trip will also serve as a significant opportunity to help promote the island to a nation of people who may never have heard of the tiny island in the Caribbean and also share our experiences with them about living with an active volcano but still being able to enjoy the excellent qualities of life on the island,” Mack continued. “The trip has already started to generate a new attitude towards the sport of basketball on the island as those players who didn't make the team this year are already planning on how they will improve their game to ensure they are in with a good chance of making the team next time around, and those who support the sport of basketball on Montserrat are putting all their support behind the guys by offering words of encouragement.”
The game has benefits for OU-C’s basketball team, both in terms of preparation for the upcoming season and the opportunity to be involved in an event that transcends the game of basketball.
“We are very excited to be able to play in a game of this magnitude, not only for our program, but for the cause,” OU-C men’s basketball coach Jason Smith said. “To play the national team of the island of Montserrat is wonderful from a competition standpoint, but it is going to be even better getting a chance to meet and interact with this group of guys. Their story is incredible, and I am really looking forward to the chance to meet them and get a taste of their culture.”
“From a basketball perspective it is going to be a great opportunity for our program. We have a lot of good local talent and we are really looking to make some noise in the ORCC (Ohio Regional Campus Conference). This will be a great measuring stick for us this early in the season. Dave Shoemaker is working extremely hard for this event. He believes in what he is doing in Montserrat and the island believes in him. It is and overwhelming opportunity and we are thankful at OUC to be a part of it,” Smith added..
REGIONAL HEADLINES
