Highland Bears celebrate 30 years of playing basketball in Inverness
As Highland Bears celebrates its 30th anniversary, John Munro takes a look back at how the club started and has grown in the last three decades
Highland Bears Basketball Club celebrated 30 years of existence and competing in the Scottish National Leagues for youth players last weekend.
Gathering most of the founding coaches and officials, the event at Inverness Royal Academy Sports Complex is the first of many this season and had representatives from their first boys and then girls teams along with first senior players and 10 of the current club coaches.
In the Summer of 1993, Highland Basketball Club, as it was known then, was formed from a group of like-minded coaches from across the Highlands who shared the view that the strength of the sport and the youth players would be best represented with one club.
The foundations of which were built in previous years by Mike Stainke at Alness who by then was recognised throughout Scotland as one of the top youth coaches.
Other coaches included Alastair McKinlay and Dougie Mackintosh, from Tain, Tim Pilkington of Grantown-on-Spey and John Munro who took on the roll of secretary and treasurer.
They joined along with club president Richard Smith whose 25-year involvement running and playing the sport locally and internationally was invaluable in his leadership and coaching.
Coincidently, Inverness Sports Centre opened at the same time and the club were the first to use the venue.
The success of both boys’ teams some felt was down to this venue as it was considered the best in Scotland at the time.
This success encouraged the club to hire and use the exhibition court along with having the bleacher seats pulled out.
With almost 200 spectators on occasions this not only inspired the home team but intimidated the visitors who mostly were used to a dark, cold and empty gymnasium.
The club was also fortunate and grateful for a massive three-year sponsorship deal from Tulloch Homes which helped them dramatically towards facility and
transportation hire.
The club's first home games exactly 30 years ago last weekend could not have gone any better or poignantly for the u-16 team as they defeated Troon who had defeated Inverness in the Scottish Cup the previous season.
With all the players now representing Highland redemption was always on the cards winning 58-43 and the junior team winning 64-45.
The early jubilation was short lived as a lesson in finding the away venue in pre- Sat-nav days proved costly as they arrived late for their game at Paisley and the game was forfeited.
This galvanised the club and the team went unbeaten in all competitions winning the Scottish u-16 Cup, before coming up against Arbroath Musketeers the following day where if they had won would have secured the national first Division title.
However, Highland won the coin toss to host the winner takes all game and everyone headed to Inverness the following week.
This was everyone except the referees who failed to turn up with almost 200 spectators in attendance.
The game eventually went ahead four weeks later with Radio Scotland and now well over 200 spectators in attendance but unfortunately Highland fell short 58-55.
The clubs u-18 boys team had similar fortunes in that first season and also had their own winner take all game for the first division title against Edinburgh Kings in
Aberdeen.
They also came up short but went on the following season to win the under-18 Scottish Cup while coming runners up again in the first Division.
Due to having one of the best facilities in Scotland at the time, Highland Basketball Club were privileged to host the 1996 Home Nations Tournament (U18 men) where a full capacity crowd (700 spectators) witnessed the Club’s very own Keith Glazier play in the Scotland vs England match. Later that year,
Highland Basketball Club received the Inverness Area Sports Council Club of the Year Award.
The 1996/97 season saw their u-18 women's team compete in the national leagues, with both u-16 and u-18 mens teams victorious in their respective divisions.
During the 1998/99 season, the u-16 mens team would repeat their success and the senior mens team would win the Presidents Cup for the first and last time
as it was renamed the following season as the Chairman's Cup).
In January 1999, ATC Highland Basketball Club hosted the Sunny-D Camp with over 300 childreN participating from the Highlands and Islands region - the third largest camp in the
UK.
Later that same year, John Munro was awarded the title of Inverness Area Sports Council Coach-Administrator of the Year.
The 2001/02 season saw ATC Highland Under 16 women's team reach the final of the Scottish Cup for the first time.
It was also in the summer of 2002 that a new Senior men's team - the Highland Bears - were formed comprising of ex junior national league players under the guidance of Tim Pilkington and John Munro.
The Highland Bears senior men's team enjoyed a successful inaugural season, going undefeated and winning the Chairman's Cup at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow.
The senior mens team would go onto a further three Chairman's Cup finals appearances in five years.
During the 2005 season, the Highland Bears added another team to the roster - The Lady Bears - again the squad were mainly ex-junior national league players who played
under the guidance of Judi McWhirr.
In 2006, the Senior men's team went on to secure their second Chairman's Cup win at Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh.
In late 2008, the decision was made by Highland Basketball Club and Highland Bears to merge to form a solitary club - Highland Bears Basketball Club.
The Lady Bears would also go onto be crowned back-to-back Chairman's Cup winners in 2009 and 2010.
Then to win the cup again in 2017 under the leadership of Jane Chisholm before Covid prevented their semi-final game being played in 2020.
The youth teams had another purple era from 2010 for a decade led by Andrew Gibson, Frazer Grant and John Kerray extoling the virtues of the founding club.
In 2011 sweeping all games in the u-14 boys and girls leagues and school Cups.
The pandemic hit basketball hard and it is still trying to get back to pre-covid playing and organisation standards.
Though the Bears under the guidance of Ryan Devlin is working tirelessly to that goal.
The club is indebted to girls coaches Anna MacArthur, Jeni Alexander and Jeremy Matte who have inspired a new generation of girls dominating the sport.
While founding club players, Marc Wilson, Ross Waldie and Ian Gunn are not just senior players but coaching their respective teams making up the 12 strong adult coaching squad.
Club stalwart Allan Macdonald whose three girls moved out of the club a decade ago has continued in table official duties, training and game setup which is greatly appreciated.
While it is easy to identify the clubs successes and possibly 100 boys and girls who have played internationally representation not just for Scotland but Great Britain. The club prides itself by being inclusive and enjoys great numbers in coming to its training sessions and hopes to continue for another 30 years.