Basketball Ireland caught up with Mulroy Hoops who recently achieved the Bronze Club Mark award. You can find out how your club can achieve this award here.

Read the full interview below to find out how they found the Basketball Ireland Club Mark process and more.

Can you tell us a bit about your club? E.g. How many teams? 

Mulroy Hoops was founded in 2008 in Rossnakill Fanad Co. Donegal, which is a rural location in north Donegal, the nearest large town population centre being Letterkenny which is 20 miles away. The club started with approx. 15 children and now has a membership of over 160 children. The club caters for all age groups from U6 to U19. The club entered 12 teams in the NWAB leagues and has also played in BNI. Mulroy Hoops play their home games in Ray Community Centre and has built a strong partnership with the Ray committee to provide top class facilities. The clubs most notable success to date was reaching the AICC (All-Ireland's Club Championship) in the 2018/2019 season for the first time with our U14 girls team, and them becoming All-Ireland Champions. Another notable success was Mulroy Hoops winning a Basketball Ireland’s Area Board Club of the Year in 2019 on the back of our All Ireland success.

What challenges do you face in the club if any? 

The club has grown rapidly with large membership which is a great achievement in a rural setting when competing with Soccer and GAA, the biggest challenge is not having enough coaches to cater for growing numbers/teams. Another challenge is trying to encourage people/ parents to get involved in the club as coaches or to take roles on the committee. This year especially is quite challenging with Covid-19 as extra volunteers are needed to ensure a safe environment for everyone

What made you want to try and achieve the Basketball Ireland club mark? 

As a club we are striving to improve all the time and to be seen as a progressive forward-thinking club. The Basketball Ireland Bronze Mark is another sign of this progressive outlook.

How did you find the Basketball Ireland Club Mark process? 

The club Mark provides you with a checklist of requirements and example resources. This was a great help in aligning our documentation and procedures to the Basketball Ireland club standard. When we did have questions the Basketball Ireland Development Officers Niall McDermott and Paul Carr were on hand to provide support and guidance. The process is a really useful exercise to ensure your club has all necessary best practices in place.

What difference is the Basketball Ireland Club Mark going to make for your club? 

The Basketball Ireland Bronze Club Mark is a nationally recognised quality mark and proves that the club is moving in the right direction. Obtaining the Bronze Club Mark demonstrates to members and parents that we are striving to offer the best in coaching and basketball experience. 

Do you think you will engage with the club mark system and achieve all the way up to Platinum Club Mark? If so, what do you need to do to get your club to this stage? 

Yes, we will definitely be pursuing the other club mark levels. Our next steps will be to review the checklist and resources for Level 2. Then we will perform a check on what we already have in place and add/adjust accordingly. We can then create an action plan to implement and address any gaps discovered during the process.

What are the goals for the season ahead? 

As a result of Covid-19 disrupting the season, our main goal is to have our teams retuning to training in a safe environment with the hope of leagues resuming at some point in 2021. As a club, we would also hope to progress to the next level which is the Silver Basketball Ireland Club Mark. Mulroy Hoops have also introduced a new training programme this season to all coaches within the club, so that all coaches employ the same training strategies to develop a consistent style of play that carries through all ages groups.

What would you say to other clubs thinking about getting involved in the Basketball Ireland Club Mark? 

The Bronze Basketball Ireland Club Mark has been extremely positive for our club. Our administrative processes are now stronger than ever before. While it was intensive to get over the line, it has set the club on the correct path for achieving governance and best practices. Achieving this award from our governing body is a great acknowledgement to our coaches, committee, players and parents for a job well done.