With the 2022/23 season just around the corner, we caught up with Head Coach, Jimmy Bowers, to talk about the new season and his debut at the helm.
Before throwing key questions at Coach Bowers we caught up with CEO, Jay Marriott who had this to say about his new hire:
I'm excited for Jimmy, this has been long overdue as far as running his own program. To think a talent of his kind was left out in the wilderness was a lot of teams loss and our gain. Having got to know Jimmy this past season it was evident he was ready and more importantly I trusted him to take this program to the next level. His passion and hunger to do well is impressive and I know he will prove he is one of the brightest minds in the league this season. We both feel recruitment has gone really well so far and we will be very competitive.
Your first season as Queen's Head Coach, how much are you looking forward to getting started?
I honestly cannot wait. We have an exciting group coming in and our growth as a club moves forward each day. It was a positive for me that we made the best of a tough situation towards the end of last season and I could get some experience leading the the team, I think that will stand us in good stead for this upcoming season.
How has the recruitment in the off season been going? What has the off season schedule been like?
Recruitment has been great! Jay and I have a fantastic relationship where we can have an open and honest dialogue about our vision for the team. There have been some long hours looking at film, zoom calls and emails to make sure we are getting the right players for our culture. We believe that we have a process and communication that give us the belief we can get better each year.
It's the second season in the WBBL for the Queens, what are the targets for the team this season?
Making the post season is always the target, we feel before the injuries last season we should have been there, so we recognise this is always simpler said than done. We will be slightly deeper this coming season and with the help of the University of Gloucestershire we will be able to create a high performance environment both on and off the court for our athletes, a good run of health will see us have a great chance.
What have you learnt from being an Assistant Coach that you can take into this upcoming season?
Having a year to learn about the league, it's stars and the coaches before taking the reigns was a fantastic opportunity. I feel it's given me a head start on this year and what challenges are ahead of us.
Talk to us about your staff hires of Jacob Dearman and Shanice Turner for this coming season?
JD is someone that has spent a lot of time with us as a group this season, he has some great pedigree having been with the Reading Rockets program. I feel we have synergy in our beliefs of what it takes to build this team. Jay taught me that trust is the key with your staff and I want the same experience for JD. Shanice will be out of playing action for a season and mentally that is going to be tough for her. Coming onto the staff is really going to stretch her mind and get her to see the bigger picture that sometimes as a player you might miss out on. We think this isn't just going to benefit her in the long run but us as a program when we can get her back on the court.
Look out for more information on tickets, player signings and new game night announcements in the coming days and weeks. Stay up to date here: www.gloucestercitybasketball.co.uk/queens
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