President:
What is your name and where are you from?
Stephen Gore. I live on the Isle of Wight but I’m originally from Essex.
What is your position in the club? What does that imply? What do you have to do for the club?
Club President.
The President is overall responsible for chairing the committee and ensuring that the club runs smoothly. They are the point of contact for the Athletic Union, Student’s Union, and any new players. They are responsible for every general aspect of the club organisation that isn’t in the job description of other committee members, such as hiring and coaching staff, sourcing external venues, applying for block bookings and focus sport, as well as many other smaller tasks. In the event that committee members do not pull their weight and do their job, the onus is on the President to ensure that this is completed. If anything goes wrong with the club, the President takes responsibility.
For how long have you been playing basketball for? What got you started?
I’ve been playing basketball since I was 14. I played during P.E. and found myself getting more rebounds and scoring more than everyone else because I was slightly taller than the rest of the kids. It felt good to be the best at something and so I kept playing at a school level. When I got to university I realised that compared to the 150 people at trials I was far below average which was quite disheartening. That didn’t stop me playing though, I joined SUBC’s new development team and missed lectures to train. In my first year at University, I was awarded “Most Improved Player” in development and the following year I was captain. Since then I’ve kept my devotion to training, and now I’m starting SF/PF for the 2nds.
Why do you like/love basketball? What motivates you to go the training sessions?
I love the feeling of executing a play really well, and when the team works together to make the best shot possible. It’s also really satisfying to make a tricky pass that results in a great assist and outrunning another team on the break. One of the best feelings for me though is shutting down another player on defence, either by blocking them or just making sure they don’t score. I know that I’m far from being the best player in the club, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be the hardest working player in the club. Going to training improves my fitness and skills and grows the team chemistry as a whole. Also, as President, I give people crap when they don’t go training, so I don’t want to look like a hypocrite.
What is your favourite NBA team? Who is your favourite basketball player? Why?
Chicago Bulls are my team. They can boast of one of the greatest sporting dynasties of all time in the 1990s with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. 6 titles in 8 years and undefeated in the finals is an incredible feat that I don’t think will be seen in our lifetime again. My favourite current basketball player is Jimmy Butler (obviously he has to be a Bull). He has had to step up to lead the team and is putting up All-Star stats. He hasn’t been in the league for long and every year he gets better and better, meaning his best is yet to come. He also doesn’t take himself too seriously off the court, and openly admits to listening to Taylor Swift to wind down.
What was your most memorable moment when playing basketball?
I would have to say Varsity 2015 was my highlight of basketball so far. I had been elected President for my first term the night before and we went away to Portsmouth to defeat all of their basketball teams, as well as Southampton, winning the cup overall. What made it so special was the way in which the entire club was at the games to support each team since we were in Portsmouth. We had a wild crowd and I think it really helped build a great atmosphere. The after party was legendary, I stayed on the podium in Oceana until 4 am and had an unforgettable weekend.
Anything else you want to share?
Vote Stephen Gore for VP Sports Development 2017!
#GoreMeansMore