Following our last interview with Jeff Nwodo, I recently interviewed John Troy from Rang McCafferty in Transition Year , I asked him questions about his basketball career so far and what he hopes his future holds for him, John now plays for Pyrobel Killester and also has been a running member of the Donabate Community College Basketball Team since 2014. He never lets the team down as he has scored an amazing 75 points over the course of only two games this season.He dedicates many hours of his week to train as much as he can and has a big responsibility as he is the co-captain of his Killester basketball team. He has many opportunities because of his talent and is looking forward to his trials for the National Basketball Team next year. We wish John the best of luck and we can’t wait to see him get his first cap for Ireland.
When did you first start playing basketball?
I started at 11 years of age which was a late age for my family because my siblings started at a much younger age.
What was the name of the first team you played for?
They were called the ‘Donabate Warriors’ and I was U14’s.
Do you enjoy playing for ‘Pyrobel Killester’ now? Why?
Yes I do, because they are a very good club and it has made me gain many friends all over Ireland by competing in many competitions and they have also helped me become a better player.
What opportunities has basketball created for you?
Basketball has allowed me to travel all over Ireland , and I even got the chance to travel over to America to train in one of the college facilities there. Also, through basketball I have attended many camps around Ireland for top players of the age 12-18.
What position do you play?
I play the position point guard, so basically I bring the ball up the court and run the plays and this also gives me the chance to score many points for my team.
What was one of your proudest moments? Why?
Probably getting to the All Ireland Finals with the school basketball team because it felt good to know that my team was one of the best in Ireland in my age group.
Where do you hope to be in the future?
In the future I would like to see myself play basketball professionally or at least make money from being a part of the game.
Can you tell us a bit about the School Basketball Team?
I enjoy playing on the school basketball team because I enjoy playing with different players outside of my club and I also like playing against other teammates in Killester that are in my school league as well. We all work well as a team and we hope to keep playing strong in the league.We also train at 7:30 am before school on Friday with our coach Ms.Kinsella which shows our hardwork and determination for the game and Ms.Kinsella never fails to encourage us to be our very best.
I had a great time interviewing John and thoroughly enjoyed talking about his career and we wish him the best of luck in the future and this season of basketball.
(Matthew O’Hagan TY Journalism)