Our basketball teams achieved huge success in 2019, with great results, amazing team building and first time experiences.

Hornby High School is lucky to have strong programs to help develop players from an early age. We are grateful to have so much support from the community. Volunteer coaches James Harris from CDN Trust, Sam Hawkins, James Hatcher, Andy Reid, Vinnie Wallace, and Tyla Hunt-Harrison, give up their time to work with our players.

Our junior boys' basketball team played in the Friday night basketball league, kicking the season off with a great start, showing their competitiveness throughout the competition and finishing 3rd in their Division. Thank you Justin Hatcher, Luke Taylor, and Andy Reid, for your coaching and support.

The junior girls' basketball team also playing in the Friday night basketball league. Throughout this term the girls played well, working on different formations and strategies resulting in the team winning most of their games. They finished the competition 1st in their grade. Well done to every player for your contribution to the team. Thank you to Lenora Taotua-Lavea, Sarah Handley, and Vicky Chandler for your coaching and support.

Our senior girls' basketball team played in the Whelan Cup Competition on Tuesday nights, stepping up another level from previous years. The girls fought strongly and finished in 8th place overall. The girls qualified to play in the South Island Secondary Premierships held in Greymouth. Our girls achieved 5th place, qualifying them to attend the Basketball New Zealand Nationals Championships held in Palmerston North. 

This was an opportunity to experience a higher level of Basketball. Hornby High School Girls' Team coach Sam Hawkins delivers a wealth of knowledge to the team and was able to encourage the players to set high expectations so they could compete at their best. Sam was supported by assistant coach Annabelle Simpson, who delivers a strong balance within the team and builds team work and confidence. Sarah Handley, who managed the girls, was to ensure the wellbeing of the players while they were away including assisting them to manage any niggles and injuries. 

Hornby High School is very fortunate to have great support behind our girls. We thank you and appreciate all your hard work and efforts.

I have played basketball for Hornby for 5 years and each year has been a great experience. With the awesome coaching staff that i had access to, I have been able to become a great player and teammate. The coaches have inspired me to become a better version of myself and to push myself each training. With this help and motivation I have had the opportunity to represent Canterbury in basketball for the past 5 years and in early 2019, I had the great opportunity to attend the Aon Nationals where I was able to play against some of the top players in the country.

Later on in the year I was also given the opportunity to attend the Schick Nationals with my Hornby high School team. This was an amazing eye opening opportunity for Hornby High as we had never attended a Nationals before and the girls were able to learn and grow so much. Due to the life changing experience I have had with, I am looking forward to my future in the basketball industry and what may be in store for the younger future basketballers here at Hornby High School. Jordana Falconer.

Our senior boys' basketball team played in the Thomson Cup every Tuesday night, playing with heart and passion, improving at every game. They finished the season in 8th place. This meant that the Hornby High School senior boys' basketball team qualified for the South Island Secondary Premierships held in Greymouth. They finished in 4th Place, qualifying them for the New Zealand Secondary School Basketball Nationals held in Palmerston North. 

National tournament provides an opportunity for our players to develop their own play and take on competition at the highest level for their age group. This allows them to develop their basketball skills and learn how to adapt a variety of playing styles that they will experience from different teams throughout New Zealand. Hornby High School is lucky  to have James Harris guide these boys, building up skills, player relationships, structure play, and more. We are really grateful to have someone with so much passion in our community and school. Thank you James for all your hard work.

Playing basketball for Hornby High School for the past 6 years has been a blast. Ever since I started playing for the Hornby High School Thompson Trophy team, the team goal has always been to qualify for nationals. Fortunately, this year we did. From being an underdog team during the season to placing fourth in South Islands to qualify for nationals was something I never expected. The improvement of the whole team from the start of the year was incredible.

The Schick Nationals was definitely one of the highlights of my high school years. We were able to go up against amazing teams from both the North and South Islands. Although we did not get the results we wanted, I was really proud of how the team played. Overall, the Schick Nationals was a great experience for the team which truly help us improve as players and as a team. All of this wouldn’t be possible without the support from the coaching staff at Hornby High School. I appreciate all of you . Without you guys, I wouldn’t be able to play at the national level in my final year at High School. Shoutout to Coach James. Zyromme Bayson.