Andre Ellis

Details of the Essex Pirates Open Try Out for the 2011/12 BBL Season have now been confirmed as the Club continues its ongoing search for the next generation of Great British Talent.

The Lammas School Sports College will host the try out for the second straight season on Monday 5th September from 8:00pm – 9:30pm. Players interested in filling one of three open roster spots for the BBL Team are requested to email the club to register their interest at graham.wilson@essexpirates.com

Pirates Coach Jon Clark said, “We are never surprised at the high level of British talent that has yet to grace BBL arenas and we are confident that the next Jamell Anderson or Myles Hesson is waiting to show the UK what they can do on the biggest domestic basketball stage.”

Players are expected to be ready to play at 8:00pm and in line with the Pirates Policy, the focus will be on players holding a current British passport. Players who make the initial cut will be invited to join the Club’s pre season that will be based in London starting on the weekend of the 10th / 11th September.

Jon continued, “Just as essexpirates.com broke the news before any one else about Jamell’s move from the club we are hopeful of more exclusive announcements following the try out. We never put out requests for certain positional requirements. We know that good teams draft the best talent available and don’t limit themselves to needs.”

The full address of the Lammas Sports College is 150 Seymour Road, Leyton, London, E10 7LX.

Colin Sing

The Essex Pirates are pleased to announce that Colin Sing will be returning to the Pirates for his third year with the Southend based Club.

The Pirates’ all time leader in games played has agreed to terms and is excited about joining Zach Gachette and the other new signings on a new look Roster. “Having looked at other offers this summer, it’s good to be coming back to the Pirates. I love Southend and I know it will be another season of hard work and improvement.”

Colin held down the Starting Small Forward position last season and delivered solid averages of seven points and four rebounds a game in over 20 minutes of action while showing a deft touch from beyond the three point arc. Pirates Coaching Staff are looking for greater production and a higher level of consistency from Colin this year as Jon Clark details.

“Colin is a talented individual. At his height (6′7″) he can do anything on the court and play multiple positions for us. His speed and quickness allow him to cover a lot of ground and we’re working hard with him to become more of a force with the ball in his hands this season. He had several games last year where he shot the lights out from downtown and we expect more nights like that. He will have the green light this season and we expect him to deliver.”

With more player signings expected in a busy week for the Pirates, the Club are pleased with the response to the Season Ticket Offer and have extended the special deal for a further week to ensure as many fans as possible can benefit. Tickets are priced as follows until September 9th when the team will announce its Pre Season Schedule:

Adult (16+) Season Ticket – £80
Child (U16) Season Ticket – £45
Family (2+2) Season Ticket – £195

Season Tickets will provide fans with access to all BBL Championship, Cup and Trophy Games along with exclusive access to the Team at Club Events hosted at Garon Park and around the County. Those purchasing U16 Season Tickets will receive ten games for free compared to the door price. Adults taking up the offer will watch 12 games for free. By far the best offer in the BBL this season.

Fans wishing to purchase their tickets and take advantage of this Extended Offer should email graham.wilson@essexpirates.com with a contact phone number / email address stating the number and type of season tickets required. A member of the Sales Team will be in touch to confirm your booking.

Zach Gachette - signed professionally for Pirates

The Essex Pirates have confirmed the signing of their first player for the 2011/12 season when Zach Gachette agreed to terms over the Bank Holiday Weekend. Pirates Staff caught up with their starting guard at The Pro Classic summer tournament (www.theproclassic.com), organised by another Pirates’ Guard Marcus Knight.

Zach said, “I’m in a great position right now. I’m coming back to a place where I know I’m going to have the chance to play quality minutes which is rare for this league. Add to that my scholarship at the University of East London for my degree course also provided by the Pirates. There’s no better time to be living and playing in this part of the world with the Olympics just round the corner!”

He broke into the starting lineup last season and won the confidence of the Coaching Staff and Fans with his electric style of play which saw him average career highs across the board. His 8 points game and 3 rebounds came in 20 minutes each game and gave a glimpse into his untapped potential that the coaching staff plan to unlock further this season.

Jon Clark, Pirates Coach commented, “The Sky’s the limit for Zach. We learnt a lot about his game last season and how best to use his talents. He spent a ton of time at the point guard spot which is difficult for any player in this league, let alone one who was 19 years old. His willingness to learn from coaches and players like Ronnie Baker really helped him last season and we expect more of his fun loving attitude this year.”

Zach will be in attendance this week as the Pirates host an open try out for players based in London and the South East on Thursday. The club is expecting to make two more announcements regarding returning players before then and has three roster spots to fill from players at the try out. More information on how players can register will be available at www.essexpirates.com or by emailing graham.wilson@essexpirates.com

Jamell Anderson

Milton Keynes Lions Coaches are raving about their latest signing in the 6′10″ Adrien Sturt who started every game for the Pirates at Power Forward last season. Lions’ Head Coach Mike New commented, “I am very excited to have Adrien, he was highly sought after and with his size, versatility and athleticism it’s no wonder why. Adrien caused match-up problems around the league last season and with better talent around him he should excel even more. He will fit into our squad with his rebounding ability, he is able to stroke the 3 pointer and he averaged more than 1 block per game to go along with his double digit scoring. He will fit into what we are doing nicely”.

Also moving on is Jamell Anderson who is relocating closer to home with the Leicester Riders after standout performances against the Midlands Outfit. The former Great Britain Under 20 International is the first of the Pirates’ young crop of players to bolt the stable following a series of clubs showing interest after he broke into the Pirates starting lineup last season following injuries to other players.

Pirates’ Coach Jon Clark commented on both moves saying, “This is great news for both Adrien and Jamell and we couldn’t be any happier for them to be snapped up by more established clubs with larger playing budgets than us. It’s what we are all about here in Essex and it’s good to see that last summer wasn’t a one off.”

Former British Pirates who have used the opportunities that the club affords them to project their careers to a higher level at home and abroad also includes Taner Adu, Randy George, Tom Wood and Any Oxley. Myles Hesson has also attracted a great deal of interest this summer as BBL clubs scramble for his signature following an injury hit campaign where he showed flashes of his potential.

Jon went on to say, “The wheels of the Pirates machine don’t stop turning and just as we welcome the development of former players, we are eagerly awaiting the next crop of home grown talent to show itself for this season. The coaching staff and management have been in attendance at several events this summer and will continue to do so in the run up to our open try out in London next week.”

More information about the open Try Out will be posted on www.essexpirates.com over the bank holiday weekend with new signings expected to be announced the following week to join the returning players from the 2010/11 roster.

The Essex Pirates Professional Basketball Club are please to launch their new Business and Corporate Initiatives for the 2011/12 Season.

Companies wanting to play their part in supporting local athletes prior to the Summer 2012 London Games should contact James, the Pirates new Marketing Manager on james@olivejuicemedi​a.co.uk

The Pirates continue to support Great British Basketball Talent and 2011/12 will be no different. Jon Clark, Assistant Coach for the Team said,

“Our Ethos to support young home grown talent has resulted in players registering career best performances and elevating their profile On Court. We expect the same results from our Off Court Business Partnerships.”

“We are keen to work with Small and Medium sized Business’ to help them through the tough times at present with an innovative and personal approach to linking with Professional Sport. We are happy to begin working with James and know that he’s one of the best in the business!”

Partnership Packages start from as little as £100 and range from match night events to season long involvement to promote greater brand awareness. Please contact Jason for more information and a chat about how the Pirates can work with you.

The Essex Pirates Basketball Club are looking to recuit up to ten new Pirate Ship Mates to volunteer for the start of the new season in September.

New Recruits to the Ship Mates will join an exciting and highly motivated group of local people from the previous two seasons to make the Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre one of the best home venues in the BBL.

There are a wide range of tasks that Ship Mates can volunteer for ranging from, but not limited to Video and Post Production of Match Footage, Website and Social Media Management, Security and Team Managers, Merchandise Sales and On Court Activities to name just a few.

All Ship Mates will receive Pirates Clothing and access to exclusive Pirates Events throughout the season along with discounts for family members. All Ship Mates will be able to volunteer at every home game for two hours and also to attend a monthly meeting prior to a home game.

Can you Help the Pirate Ship Sail this season? If so, please email jon.clark@essexpirates.com with your phone number and email address and our volunteer manager will be in touch to give you details of our pre season Volunteer Meeting.

The Club will continue to offer the best British Basketball League Action at the lowest price for its fans this season with a the new pricing structure for those signing up before the end of September.

Adult (16+) Season Ticket – £80
Child (U16) Season Ticket – £45
Family (2+2) Season Ticket – £195

Season Tickets will provide fans with access to all BBL Championship, Cup and Trophy Games along with exclusive access to the Team at Club Events hosted at Garon Park and around the County. Those purchasing U16 Season Tickets will receive ten games for free compared to the door price. Adults taking up the offer will watch 12 games for free. By far the best offer in the BBL this season.

Fans wishing to purchase their tickets and take advantage of this Summer Offer should email graham.wilson@essexpirates.com with a contact phone number / email address stating the number and type of season tickets required. A member of the Sales Team will be in touch to confirm your booking.

Go Pirates!

Lewis feels progress has been made this term, despite the indifferent results.

And he is certain Pirates can turn things around when their next campaign tips-off in September.

“Results-wise it was a disappointing season but we’re two years in to what is a long-term plan,” said Lewis.

“The first two years are always going to be tough and you have to get the building blocks in place but we’ve learnt lessons and will kick on from here.

“Our ambitions remain the same and by 2015 we want to playing in Europe.”

Before then, Pirates are targeting a place in the play-offs next season and Lewis knows what needs to be done to make sure that can happen.

“We need to have more experience around our young British players and that’s something I will make sure we have next year,” said Lewis.

“We were left short when our visa applications for the American guys we were chasing got turned down but there’s a chance they could be here next year.

“Turner King, Mike Mokeski and his brother Bryan may come over and they’re guys who are around 6ft 9ins tall, so they will make a difference.

“But we have some very talented youngsters in our team, with the likes of Myles Hesson, Zach Gachette, Colin Sing and Jamell Anderson and they will all be involved again next year.

“They deserve credit for the way they stuck at things this season and, in hindsight, I probably didn’t do a good enough job of looking after them.”

Lewis will mull over the remainder of his squad in the next few months but he has been buoyed the support his side have received in the town this season.

On three occasions, Pirates were roared on by more than 1,000 fans at the Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre.

And the crowds have been much higher than in the first season.

“Most of the clubs in the BBL would struggle to get 1,000 fans now, let alone in their second season,” said Lewis.

“That’s a huge positive for us and our last game was watched by around 700 supporters, so the interest is there and we want to keep building on that.”

That backing has also made Pirates’ future secure.

Many of their rivals, including Worthing Thunder, are fighting to stay in existance.

But Lewis claimed Pirates have no such concerns.

“You have to cut your cloth accordingly and that’s what we’ve done,” said Lewis, who has been invited to coach the BBL All Star team at the play-off final at the end of the month.

“We have a restricted budget but there’s no point spending money we don’t have.

“We’re sensible with what we do but we have some high calibre backers on board now in Essex Audi and Gatorade and are working hard to bring more in.

“We have a great product which all members of the family enjoy and even more people will come along next season and that we can be more successful too.”