Welcome to Killester Special Olympics Basketball Programme
Killester Special Olympics Basketball programme was set up in 2003, following the World Games in Dublin. It has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with now over 50 athletes attending team training and skills level.
Killester Special Olympics Basketball Programme is an integral part of Killester Basketball Club
Killester Special Olympics Basketball Programme is an integral part of Killester Basketball Club
If you would like to join us for the first time, click here for our contact details.
NEW SEASON 2019-2020
Friday 13th September
The first evening session of the new season starts next Friday at 7pm and, hopefully, everyone, coaches as well as athletes, have had a good summer and plenty of rest. Looking forward to seeing all athletes back again and ready for some new challenges! There is a Newsletter on the 'Newsletter' tab at the top of this page giving the training times for skills athletes and all the teams for the first two weeks.
Killester Special Olympics
FUN DAY
Saturday, 18th May 2019
Doubleheader
Killester Mens A & B Teams V Blackrock Mens A & B
Friday 8th March
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On Friday night Killester Mens A & B Teams had a doubleheader match against Blackrock. The B teams on each side tipped-off first at 8pm. It was a fast-paced game from the start with some great passing from our team. Scores were soon being put on the board from both teams and Killester kept the lead for the first three quarters. Unfortunately, they were overtaken by Blackrock in the fourth quarter but they never gave up and played hard until the end. Blackrock won by 3 points! A match well fought from both teams.
We still had the Mens A teams to look forward to. Once again, it was a fast-paced game, well fought. Unfortunately Killester were missing two key players, Brendan and David, through injury which put the team at a disadvantage. However, it was a great game to watch and both teams scored some great baskets right to the final buzzer, Blackrock winning out. A selection of photographs from the B Team match gives a flavour of both matches. |
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Winning Ways!
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On Friday night there was a welcome break from training as some club mates from the Killester Basketball Men's Superleague team came with the National Cup they had won on January 26 by 66-63 in a cliffhanger final with UCD Marian in the National Basketball Arena.
All our athletes got a chance to hold the Cup and have their pictures taken with the members of the Superleague team. A few 3-on-2 games were played also between our athletes and the Superleague players! Many thanks to team members, Alan Casey, Ciaran Roe, Keith Anderson and Royce Williams, who took the time to bring the National Cup to share with our athletes. |
Killester Mens A Team V Palmerstown Wild Cats
Friday, 18t 2009
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It was the first match of the season for the Mens A team at home to Palmerstown Wild Cats and what an intense match it was!
Straight from the tip-off both teams went from end-to-end at a really fast pace. By the end of the first quarter the score was 3-2 in favour of Killester, a relatively small score given the pace of the game, however both teams fiercely defended their ends! For three quarters of the game Killester led by a narrow margin. However, in the last quarter Killester got into foul trouble and Palmerstown shot some good baskets to take the lead. Even though Killester scored some good baskets too it was not enough in the end. The final score was Killester 16, Wild Cats 20. For the spectators it was a thrilling match to watch. It was played in a great spirit and very well done to both teams. |
CHRISTMAS PARTY 2018
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One of the main events of the year, The Christmas party, was held last Friday night and what a night it was! There was a great turnout of athletes from the skills athletes to members of all the teams.
We were joined, as usual, by National League players from both the Ladies and Mens teams. Also, coaches and volunteers came along to take part, in what was a night to remember. It all kicked off with a series of matches between National League players and our athletes which were made up of mixed mens and ladies teams at all the different levels from skills upwards. Despite some showy play by the National League players, once again our athletes came out on top! To top off the night, Santa arrived with a sack-full of gifts. Everyone was delighted with their Killester T-shirts and a selection box each! After all, Christmas isn't Christmas without a selection box! At the end of the night Sheera made a lovely speech thanking Jordan for being such a good friend and team mate over the years as Jordan is emigrating with her family in the New Year. The committee would like to thank the Killester National League players and coach who kindly came down on the night and made it such an enjoyable night for the athletes and we hope to see them again at the Jamboree. |
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SuperValu Bag-Pack
Last Saturday, 8th December, athletes, families, volunteers and committee members participated in bag-packing in SuperValu Killester to raise much needed funds for the club.
Fundraising events in the community are a great way for our athletes to meet people and share their stories, while also giving back.
Everyone enjoyed their time and the generosity of the customers was fantastic.
The Committee would like to thank the Management and Staff of SuperValu Killester for being so welcoming and our athletes and all other bag packers who were so generous of their time on the day.
Fundraising events in the community are a great way for our athletes to meet people and share their stories, while also giving back.
Everyone enjoyed their time and the generosity of the customers was fantastic.
The Committee would like to thank the Management and Staff of SuperValu Killester for being so welcoming and our athletes and all other bag packers who were so generous of their time on the day.
Killester Ladies A Team V Blue Dolphins
Friday 7/12/2018
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Tonight the Killester Ladies A Team had their first match of the season, a home game, against Blue Dolphins. It was an exciting and fast-paced match to watch. Killester took an early lead in the first quarter but soon Blue Dolphins got some scores of their own.
The fast pace of the game continued through the remaining three quarters with great defending by both teams, fast breaks up the court and some great baskets scored. It kept the supporters on the edge of their seats! Even though the Killester Ladies continued to win some baskets, Blue dolphins gradually drew ahead. The final score, in favour of Blue Dolphins, did not reflect how evenly the teams were matched in general play. Both teams showed great sportsmanship throughout the game and at the end. |
Killester Ladies B Team V Sports Club 15
Friday 30/11//2018
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It was a double-header night last Friday when the Ladies B Team and the Mens C Team both played matches against Sports Club 15.
The Ladies Team were up first and played an excellent passing and defence game. It was a well contested match on both sides. However, Sports Club 15 team got more baskets in the first and last quarters even though the Killester Ladies never let up and kept creating scoring chances right to the end. The final score did not reflect the even nature of much of the match. |
Killester Mens C Team V Sports Club 15
Friday 30/11/2018
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Both the Killester Mens C Team and Sports Club 15 took to the court at 8.15pm. This was Killester Mens C Teams first match of the season and they did really well against an opposition with mostly tall players. The game went up and down the court with lots of passing the ball and plenty of baskets on both sides. However, the height advantage helped Sports Club 15 to victory in the end. It was a well-played match on both sides.
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Killester Mens B Team V Swords
Friday 23/11/2018
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The first home game of the new season and what a game it was! Right from the tip-off the game was fast and furious, the play going from end to end.
Killester took an early lead and kept it up to half-time although Swords had put some scores on the board and had closed the gap between the two teams. In the second two quarters the pace of the game never dropped. Gradually, Swords took the lead and, despite numerous efforts to score, Killester couldn't catch-up. The final score,17-10 to Swords. It was a terrific match to watch and congratulations to both teams for such an exciting and entertaining game and great sportsmanship. Welcome also to Sean who played his first match for Killester and played very well. |
NEW SEASON
The new season begins on Friday 14th September, 2018. Looking forward to seeing all the athletes there!
Seeing Off the 2017-2018 Season in Style
Killester Social Night
Friday May 18, The Beachcomber, Killester
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Then it was time for the presentation of medals. The Mens C team, coached by Alan, came top of their league and were presented with gold medals and the Cup. Special awards were presented to Jason and Stephen for the support they gave their team. Also the Mens A team, coached by Martin, were presented with medals for coming second in their league, a great achievement for both teams.
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Once again it was time to dress-up and celebrate the end of a great season at Killester Special Olympics. The venue was the Beachcomber in Killester and, as always, there was a great turn-out of athletes and families.
With the athletes meeting up with their friends and team mates and family members relaxing on a night out there was an atmosphere of fun and laughter. The photographs give the best flavour of the night! 
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ALPS Award
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Congratulations to David of the Mens A team who was awarded the Bronze medal in ALPS (Athletes Leadership Programs) on Wednesday, 11th April. Well done from everyone at the club.
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Killester Ladies team v Blue Dolphins
Tuesday, 13/02/2018, Wicklow
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On the 13th February Killester Ladies travelled to Wicklow to play a match against Blue Dolphins.When we got there, we got changed into our gear and went to the court. When we were finished warming up our coaches told us that the girls on the Blue Dolphin team didn't have enough players, they only had 6 and we had 12. So what we did was play a quick game and then had some fun with the second half. It ended up a draw with Killester and Blue Dolphins! 10-10! Some of the ladies on the Killester team joined the Blue Dolphins for the friendly part. It was very fun. Everyone enjoyed the night!
By Niamh and Natasha |
Killester Men's B Team v Kildare Friday 23/02/2018
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Last Friday night saw the Men's B team take on Kildare in the return match. Once again, it was a hotly contested match with baskets scored at both ends in the first two quarters. However, Kildare pulled ahead in the 3rd and 4th quarters and, even though Killester played their hearts out right to the end, they couldn't quite bridge the gap.
Well played to both teams! |
Killester A Team v Blackrock Friday 16/02/2018
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A very exciting and fast-paced game was played last Friday between the Mens A team and Blackrock. It was a very competitive game with Blackrock starting strongly and pulling ahead in the first quarter. However, Killester fought hard and closed the gap considerably and got within a couple of baskets. However, Blackrock held on for the victory in the end. It was a great game, well done to both teams.
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Killester C Team v Lexlip Special Olympic Club Friday 2/2/2018
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OLast Friday night saw another exciting and competitive match. This time, between the Men's C Team and Lexlip SO Club. The C Team took an early lead but soon Lexlip got some scores on the board. However, the C Team never lost the lead. In saying that, it was a hard-fought game with plenty of action as the play went from end-to-end. Once again, a very entertaining game for the spectators. Congratulations to both teams for a great match and to the C Team for a great win.
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Killester Super 6 v Palmerstown Wild Cats
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Venue: The National Basketball Arena
Occasion: Half-time of the President's Cup between Ballincollig and Killorgan with Killester and Palmerstown playing an exhibition match. Basketball Ireland asked Special Olympics Ireland to provide two teams to play a half-time exhibition match at the President's Cup final in The National Basketball Arena. A mixture of A and B team players made up the Killester team. Both teams were announced on to the court to great applause and the game began. It was an exciting and fast-paced but short game with both teams giving their all but Wild Cats winning in the end. Well done to both teams who provided a very positive impression of Special Olympics basketball to the wider Irish basketball community. |
Killester Ladies V Bray Lakers Friday 26/1/2018
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Last Friday, in the first home match of the new year, Killester Ladies took on the Bray Lakers.
Right from the start it was a hotly contested match and, for the spectators, very exciting to watch as it was a very fast game with both teams going from end to end right to the finish. Bray Lakers got a few early scores which, in the end, made the difference but it could have gone either way. Congratulations to both teams for a very entertaining evening! |
ALPS Day Report
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Last Saturday, bright and early three of our athletes along with Christina and Oonagh made their way out to the Special Olympics Ireland headquarters near Blanchardstown for a day of workshops for the athletes David McG, Hugh and David C. ALPS stands for Athletic Leadership Programme and is open to all athletes to take part in along with a mentor.
The day included a workshop on public speaking run by members of Toastmasters who made the workshop fun and enjoyable. A workshop on keeping fit and healthy through the food we eat and exercise. Another workshop on the ALPS awards and how it works. There are 3 levels of award, bronze, silver and gold. Each award sets out a number of challenges and tasks based around the cornerstones of ALPs to be completed and encourages athletes to learn new skills and put what they have learned into practice. The fourth workshop was on TaiChi run by a group called TaiChi Your Way and it was all about learning how to stay relaxed and become confident through TaiChi movements which are skills we could all do with!. It was a full but enjoyable day for the athletes. During lunch the soccer team that represented Ireland in the last World Games, including Nathan and Matthew from our mens A team, were presented with their Ireland caps by the FAI. |
Are you a registered volunteer?
As we are affiliated with Special Olympics Ireland, we must abide by their guidelines for athlete to volunteer ratio's (4:1) to run all training and events. This has proved challenging during our new Saturday sessions. We would welcome parents who are registered volunteers to help us to fulfil this requirement. If you are registered and available to attend, please pass on your Volunteer ID number to a member of our committee. If you are not registered, but would like to become a volunteer with Special Olympics, please speak to a member of our committee.
John
John
ATHLETES IN TRAINING
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Now that the new season has started and we are three weeks into training what better way to see what is going on than through pictures!
Starting with a selection of pictures from the Skills group and team photographs of the Ladies Team and the Men's C Team. In another week or two the other teams will be added. There is also a new Newsletter with dates for the first matches of the season for all teams. It also has important dates on training over the Halloween break and the date of the Christmas party to put into your calendar. For those athletes who are taking part in the National Games there is some information on that also. To see the Newsletter, just click on the Newsletter link at the top of the page. |
Welcome Back
for the 2017-2018 season
A big welcome back to all athletes, coaches and volunteers. Hopefully you have all had a good summer with plenty of rest and sunshine and are looking forward to a new season of practicing skills, training, matches and, most importantly, having fun!
There is a new Newsletter with some important information and important dates to put in your diary. The big change this season is that there will be three Men's teams so there will be an extra training slot in the hall on Saturdays between 3 and 4pm. All training times on Friday nights stay the same.
Just click on the Newsletter link at the top of the page to read all about it.
There is a new Newsletter with some important information and important dates to put in your diary. The big change this season is that there will be three Men's teams so there will be an extra training slot in the hall on Saturdays between 3 and 4pm. All training times on Friday nights stay the same.
Just click on the Newsletter link at the top of the page to read all about it.
Volunteers Wanted
As we tip off for the new season, we are looking for eager volunteers to join our team.
Prior basketball experience is not essential, but you need to be a registered volunteer with Special Olympics Ireland. If you would like to get involved, drop us an email.
Click here for our contact, training and venue details
Click here for our Gallery Page for some photos from past events
Killester Special Olympics is affiliated to Special Olympics Ireland Eastern Region
